Last week, a famous grizzly bear known as “399” was struck and killed by a vehicle in Jackson, Wyoming. National Park Service officials said:.

Officials said 399, named for her tag attached by wildlife researchers, is the oldest known breeding female grizzly bear in the Greater Yellowstone region.

He was killed by a vehicle on Oct. 22 on Highway 26/89 in the Snake River Canyon, just outside Grand Teton National Park. The driver of the vehicle is in good health.

399’s one-year-old puppy was with her at the time of the vehicle collision, but authorities said they did not believe the puppy was injured.

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The 399 became a famous fixture in the area during its 28-year life.

“The grizzly bear is an iconic species that helps make the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem so extraordinary. Grizzly bear 399 has been perhaps the species’ most prominent ambassador,” Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Chip Jenkins said in a statement on Facebook. He was inspiring and will be missed, he said.

Following the news of 399’s tragic death, several park rangers shared their memories of seeing the iconic grizzly bear. Many of the special moments involved seeing her in mama bear mode with her numerous cubs over the years.

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Bear-vehicle collisions are not uncommon in the area, park officials said.

From 2009 to 2023, there were 49 grizzly bear deaths due to vehicle collisions in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. According to the Interagency Grizzly Bear Task Force, an average of 3.3 bears are killed each year in the region after being struck by a vehicle.

399’s death was the second bear death from a vehicle collision in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in 2024.

It’s worth noting that 399 was not part of the popular Fat Bear Week that took place in 2017. Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve.