The death of a famous Wyoming grizzly bear in a car crash was an accident, authorities say

JACKSON, Wyo. A 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 bear No. 399 Tuesday night in the Snake River Canyon south of Jackson has upset tourists, wildlife biologists, hobbyists and professional photographers who have spent years studying and photographing the bear and her many cubs and following her comings and goings on social media. media sites.

“The bear walked right into the road,” Lincoln County Sheriff’s Patrol Lt. John Stetzenbach told the Jackson Hole News & Guide on Friday. The driver “failed to brake in time to avoid the bear and a collision occurred.”

He said the collision was “really an accident” and that the driver was not speeding or distracted and it was not reported. 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.

At age 28, #399 was the oldest known reproductive female grizzly in the Yellowstone ecosystem. Every spring, wildlife enthusiasts eagerly await her emergence from the den to see how many cubs she has produced over the winter, then quickly share the news online. The bear has had 18 known cubs in eight litters over the years, including a litter of four in 2020. She was about 7 feet (2.1 meters) tall and weighed about 400 pounds (180 kilograms).

The grizzly bear, named after an identification tag researchers attached to its ear, was often seen near roads in the Grand Tetons, gathering crowds and causing traffic jams.

Grand Teton bear biologist Justin Schwabedissen said Thursday that he believes her one-year-old cub, which was apparently unaffected, will survive on its own.