Member of beloved grizzly bear family hit and killed in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park

MOOSE, Wyo. (AP) — A 5-year-old bear that was a member of a well-known and beloved grizzly family in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park died after it was hit by a vehicle, the same fate that befell his mother late last year, wildlife officials said Tuesday.

Park rangers found the body of the male bear, known as Grizzly No. 1058, about 125 yards (114 meters) from Highway 26 near the Buffalo Fork River on Tuesday. The bear was one of four cubs that emerged in May 2020 with their mother, Grizzly No. 399, who was often called the world’s most famous grizzly bear.

Grizzly No. 399, who was beloved for decades by countless tourists, biologists and professional wildlife photographers, was hit and killed by a vehicle in October on a highway south of Jackson, Wyoming. Park officials used wildlife tags to confirm the relationship between the two bears.

Grizzly No. 1058 had been seen occasionally in the park since he was weened in 2022, but no sightings of him had been reported this spring. After he was hit by the vehicle, he made his way to a patch of willows, where he died.

Park officials said Tuesday he may have been dead for several days before his body was found.

At 28 years old, No. 399 was the oldest known reproducing female grizzly in the Yellowstone ecosystem. Each spring, wildlife enthusiasts eagerly awaited her emergence from her den to see how many cubs she had birthed over the winter — then quickly shared the news online. The bear had 18 known cubs in eight litters over the years, including the litter of four in 2020. She stood around 7 feet (2.1 meters) tall and weighed about 400 pounds (180 kilograms).

Named for the identity tag attached to her ear by researchers, the grizzly was often seen near roads in Grand Teton, drawing crowds and creating traffic jams.

The driver who struck and killed No. 399 was not speeding, and the bear’s death was ruled an accident. Park officials have not released any additional details about the crash that killed No. 1058.