The popular grizzly Grand Teton bear who was fatally struck by a car last month will be mourned by the public this weekend with a vigil in western Wyoming.
Grizzly No. 399 and her ever-growing brood was a beloved favorite of tourists visiting Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park for nearly 30 years before her untimely death on Highway 29/28 on Oct. 22.
The well-photographed mama bear’s memory will be honored Saturday night in Jackson, where dozens will brave the cold temperatures to attend a candlelight ceremony.
Even more viewers are expected to tune in online.
“She was a living legend, and she became this ambassador for her species and a kind of rallying symbol for people working to conserve American public lands,” said Jack Bayles, a wildlife tour guide who is organizing the ceremony.
Mourners will include wildlife photographers, locals and biologists who will share their memories of the 28-year-old grizzly, who was often snapped near the more foot-trafficked areas of the national park.
Grizzly No. 399 was even dubbed “Queen of the Tetons” by the PBS documentary, and over 60,000 people kept up with her adventures on Instagram.
Grizzly 399 was the oldest known reproducing female grizzly in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem and was single-handedly credited with helping the grizzly population grow from just over 100 in the 1970s to around 1,000 today.
She had 18 known cubs in eight litters, and some of her offspring have been spotted with cubs of their own.
Grizzly 399’s ashes were spread in the Pilgrim Creek area of the Grand Teton National Park this week, according to park officials.
“399 will always be part of this special place,” said park Superintendent Chip Jenkins.
“However, there is still work to do to ensure her descendants and all grizzly bears continue to thrive in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. It’s up to all of us to make sure they do.”
Grizzlies are federally protected, but are no longer considered endangered species – though their environments are critically impacted by the results of climate change, experts noted.
Grizzly 399 was about 40 miles south of her habitat in the park when she was struck and killed two weeks ago, Bayles explained.
He believes that she may have wandered off because the rising temperatures left the huckleberry bushes in the park barren.
Bayles and his wife will sing songs at the vigil that they used to play when looking for 399 and her cubs.
A male yearling nicknamed “Rowdy” or “Spirit” was with 399 when she was killed, but has not been located since.
“There is no indication it was struck in the collision,” Joe Szuszwalak of the US Fish & Wildlife Service said.
“Given the bear’s age and the time of year, the yearling has a strong chance of surviving independently, and there are no current plans to capture it.”
About three grizzlies are killed in vehicle collisions in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem each year, according to data released by the park.
Grizzly No. 399 was the second killed in the area this year. The driver — who was not injured — was not speeding, and law enforcement determined that the crash was accidental.
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