Vigil money for Grizzly No. 399, the beloved Grand Teton bear killed by a vehicle

During her nearly thirty years of wandering the snowy wilderness of the Teton Range, Grizzly #399 became a beloved mother bear with millions of park visitors following her annual adventures and her ever-expanding family tree.

Wildlife lovers are mourning the matriarch of the world-famous bear family after she was fatally struck by a vehicle on a highway in western Wyoming on Oct. 22. Dozens braved the frigid weather in the picturesque ski town of Jackson on Saturday evening to attend a candlelight vigil watched by some 1,300 others online.

Nature guide Bo Weldon told the meeting that the community would be “ping-ponging through the stages of grief,” but that was what they had to do despite the difficulty.

“We are devastated and crushed by this, but we are here together,” Weldon said as attendees huddled together in the wet, cold rain.

A PBS documentary crowned the 28-year-old grizzly bear “Queen of the Tetons,” and an Instagram account dedicated to her has amassed more than 60,000 followers. She was known to often visit tourist spots and roadsides Grand Teton National Park and became an ambassador for her kind and a symbol for people committed to preserving America’s public lands.

Named after the tag attached to her ear by researchers, No. 399 was the oldest known reproducing female grizzly in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. She is credited with helping restore the region’s grizzly population from just over 100 in the 1970s to about 1,000 today.

She has had eighteen cubs in eight litters over the years, and some have been spotted with their own cubs.

Her ashes were scattered this week in the Pilgrim Creek area of ​​Grand Teton National Park, where she spent much of her life, park officials said.

Jacob Krank, the master of ceremonies, told how he came across number 399 when he first drove into the park to explore it 13 years ago. Suddenly he saw “this beautiful grizzly bear” on the road with her two cubs. She was so close that he could hear her breathing and paws scratching the ground.

“She looked straight at me, straight in the eyes. It was just such a profound experience,” he said. “It was like she was saying, ‘Welcome home.’ Where have you been all this time?’”

Krank said the ceremony took place in response to popular demand. When No. 399 died, people began posting questions on social media and inquiring at The Mangelsen Images of Nature Gallery in Jackson, where Krank works, with photos by Thomas Mangelsen, one of the bear’s best-known photographers.

Attendees observed a moment of silence and listened to a rendition of Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” as they tried to keep the wind and rain from extinguishing their candles.

“399 will always be part of this special place,” Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Chip Jenkins said in a statement. “However, there is still work to be done to ensure that her descendants and all grizzly bears continue to thrive in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. It is up to all of us to ensure that this happens.”

Grizzlies are teetering on the endangered species list. They remain federally protected, but some state officials in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho have tried to do so remove federal protections as their population has replenished. States want to regain control of grizzly bears and allow limited hunting.

Conservationists argue the species still needs protection because food shortages due to climate change have driven grizzly bears further from their habitat in search of food.

While touring the Tetons, naturalist guide Jack Bayles said he often draws attention to parched blueberry bushes affected by rising temperatures, which he said could help explain why No. 399 was about 40 miles south of its habitat in the park . when she was fatally struck. Grizzlies must eat almost non-stop in the fall to store enough fat for hibernation.

A male yearling cub, informally known as ‘Rowdy’ or ‘Spirit’, was at No. 399 when she was killed and has not been located in the almost two weeks since.

“There is no indication that the aircraft was hit during the collision,” said Joe Szuszwalak of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. “Given the age of the bear and the time of year, the yearling has a good chance of surviving on its own, and there are currently no plans to capture it.”

On average, about three grizzly bears are killed each year in vehicle collisions in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem, according to data collected by researchers and released by the park. No. 399 was the second grizzly killed by a vehicle in the region this year.

Law enforcement officers did that declared the bear’s death an accident. The driver was not speeding and was not injured.