The driver who struck and killed a famous grizzly bear south of Grand Teton National Park earlier this week was not speeding and the bear’s death was an accident, law enforcement officials said Friday.
The death of Grizzly No. 399 on Tuesday evening in the Snake River Canyon south of Jackson saddened tourists, wildlife biologists and amateur and professional photographers who spent years studying and recording the bear and her many cubs and following her comings and goings on social media . media sites.
“The bear stepped right into the road,” Lincoln County Sheriff’s Patrol Lt. said. John Stetzenbach Friday to the Jackson Hole News & Guide. The driver “could not brake in time to avoid the bear, and the collision occurred.”
He said the collision “was truly an accident” and that the driver was not speeding or distracted and was not cited. The Subaru that hit the bear had to be towed from the scene, Stetzenbach said.
He declined to identify the driver, noting that some online comments blamed the driver for the bear’s death.
George Frey/Getty Images
At age 28, No. 399 was the oldest known reproducing female grizzly in the Yellowstone ecosystem. Every spring, wildlife enthusiasts eagerly awaited her emergence from her den to see how many cubs she had delivered over the winter, quickly sharing the news online. The bear has had 18 cubs in eight litters over the years, including a litter of four in 2020. She was about 7 feet long and weighed about 400 pounds.
The grizzly, named for the identification tag researchers attached to her ear, was often spotted near roads in Grand Teton, causing crowds and traffic jams.
Wildlife photographer Thomas D. Mangelsen previously described the bear as his own muse.
“Her intelligence, her behavior, her beauty,” Mangelsen told “60 Minutes” in 2018. “The fact that she had all these offspring. There aren’t many bears that I know of that have had three triplets.”
Grand Teton bear biologist Justin Schwabedissen said Thursday he believes her one-year-old cub, who apparently was not affected, will survive on his own.
According to authorities, 49 grizzly bears have died from vehicle collisions between 2009 and 2023.
Grizzly bears generally live around 25 years, although some live more than 35 years in the wild, according to the Fish & Wildlife Service.
Before 1800, an estimated 50,000 grizzly bears lived in 18 western states, including Wyoming, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service. By 1975, the population in the 48 contiguous states had been reduced to between 700 and 800.
After decades of being listed as endangered in the lower 48 states under the US Endangered Species Act, the population has grown to at least 1,923 grizzlies in the contiguous 48 states.
Aliza Chasan contributed to this report.
