The stays of a beloved grizzly bear who died final month after being hit by a automobile in Wyoming have been returned to Grand Teton nationwide park.
In a assertion launched on Friday, the US Fish and Wildlife Service introduced that it returned the ashes of Grizzly No 399, a 28-year outdated feminine grizzly bear, to the Pilgrim Creek space of the nationwide park the place she spent a lot of her life.
The bear, which was considered one of solely 12 recognized grizzly bears within the Larger Yellowstone Ecosystem to achieve the age of 28 or older, was the oldest documented grizzly bear to breed within the ecosystem. In 2023, Grizzly No 399 gave start to her yearling when she was 27 years outdated. In complete, Grizzly No 399 produced 18 offspring all through her life.
On October 22, Grizzly No 399 was killed in an unintentional automobile collision roughly 40 miles south of Grand Teton nationwide park. A yearling was with Grizzly No 399 when she was hit and in accordance with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, it has not but been positioned although there isn’t any indication that it was additionally hit by the automobile.
Following the accident, greater than a thousand folks took to Fb to mourn Grizzly No 399’s loss of life, with some calling her a queen and others calling her an envoy for her species.
“Grizzly bear #399 captivated folks around the globe, inspiring many to study concerning the conservation of this vital species,” Hilary Cooley, the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s grizzly bear restoration coordinator mentioned in an announcement, including: “We obtained an outpouring of appreciation for #399 and aimed to honor these sentiments in dealing with her stays.”
Andrea Zaccardi, carnivore conservation authorized director on the Heart for Organic Range, referred to as Grizzly No 399 a “Yellowstone icon” in an announcement.
“Tragedies like this spotlight why we have to keep federal protections for bears and do extra to make sure their security from vehicles and different threats,” she mentioned.
Between 2009 and 2023, there have been 49 grizzly bear deaths resulting from automobile collisions within the Larger Yellowstone Ecosystem.
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