The world's most famous mother bear died on the road

Grizzly 399 passed away.

She was the legendary grizzly bear of Grand Teton National Park, known as the "Bear Queen." But on Tuesday, her legend came to an abrupt end in a car accident .

Photographers mourn the legendary grizzly bear on social media | Syler Peralta-Ramos

The legend ends suddenly

Grand Teton National Park is located in the northwest of Wyoming, USA. Together with Yellowstone National Park and nearby national forests, it forms the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) are a subspecies of North American brown bears. About half of the grizzly bears in the United States live in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Sunset over the Teton Range | Jrmichae / Wikimedia Commons

Grizzly 399 is particularly famous. She is one of the symbols of Grand Teton National Park. When she was 5 years old, the research team captured her and put a radio tracking device on her. She was the 399th bear to be tracked in this way, so she was named Grizzly 399.

In her 28 years of life, she bred eight litters of 18 cubs, a symbol of motherhood and tenacity. Countless photos and documentaries spread her story around the world, and almost every tourist who visited Grand Teton tried to find her . She became a legend among grizzly bears.

Grizzly 399 and her children | StevenPDeVries / Wikimedia Commons

Now, the legend has come to an end.

On the night of October 22, a Subaru struck Grizzly 399 on Highway 26/89 . The 28-year-old grizzly was fatally struck and laid on the side of the road in the Snake River Canyon south of Jackson, Wyoming. An ear tag and microchip ultimately helped identify Grizzly 399. To this day, her one-year-old cub, Spirit, remains missing following the accident.

They died of road kill

Grizzly 399 isn't the first celebrity bear to be roadkilled.

Four months ago, near Yoho National Park in British Columbia, Canada, the famous white grizzly bear Nakoda was frightened by a train and ran onto the road. The vehicle was unable to avoid it and a collision occurred. Nakoda died two days later, and what is even more sad is that earlier that day, Nakoda's two cubs also died on the highway.

Nakoda and her children | The Canadian Press

For nature lovers, roadkill is one of the most distressing causes of death among wild animals. More than 260,000 road accidents involving animals occur in North America each year , with deer being the most common victims, followed by squirrels, birds, coyotes, turtles and even toads.

In order to reduce the harm to animals on the road, humans have made some efforts, such as building frog tunnels near the road, or trying to build corridor overpasses on the highway to allow coyotes, mule deer and mountain lions to pass. Banff National Park in Canada has built 44 wildlife crossing buildings (including 6 overpasses and 38 underpasses) to help animals pass through the road. It is the national park with the most wildlife crossing buildings and highway fences in a single location in the world.

Corridors for wildlife in Banff National Park | Qyd / Wikimedia Commons

Although these measures have helped protect animals, the results are not that significant . Animals have not received education on how to cross the road, and the use of tunnels or overpasses is not as high as people think. The coverage of crossing buildings is of course also a problem.

But in addition to these, for the star animals, getting used to the presence of humans is a more serious potential threat, which often brings them an unknown fate.

Inside and outside the car window

A photographer friend who is familiar with the bear told me that Grizzly 399 is a very smart bear. She understands the power of humans, and in order to protect her cubs from attacks by other adult male bears, she always chooses to move around in areas with more human activities , especially near roads.

The presence of humans keeps other male bears away from her cubs, which is why photographers love her so much - she is easier to spot than other bears. The same is true for Nakoda, who has been monitored by wildlife staff for nearly two years and is very familiar with humans. She often appears near the highway, leisurely foraging for her favorite dandelions.

Grizzly 399 gets used to human presence | Teton National Park

People are both unfamiliar and curious about bears. In national parks, tourists are always eager to encounter bears . Seeing a wild grizzly bear in person is an unparalleled experience for everyone. This phenomenon has even spawned a special term "bear jams" - it describes the traffic jams caused by tourists scrambling to take pictures and watch grizzly bears.

I once drove to Grand Teton and Yellowstone, and through the car window, I could see bison wandering leisurely by the road, quietly and slowly, only one meter away from me. I was terrified by their size and wildness, but also fascinated by their calm and slow freedom.

In nature, the huge bodies and sharp claws of wild beasts represent a cruel and irresistible force. In this wilderness, humans can only rely on the protection of steel to temporarily forget their innate fear and feel a false sense of security . It is like a painter watching a fire from the other side of the river. The gorgeous and ever-changing flames are breathtaking, but they also hide unknown dangers.

Humans tend to forget themselves when they are in a car. It is only when we roll down the window that the roar of the engine and the whistling of the wind remind us of the terrifying speed. And this speed has the power to surpass claws and teeth.

Grizzly 399 in her own wilderness｜CJ Adams / Grand Teton National Park

Grizzly 399, ultimately died of road kill.

I don't know what color the light she saw in her last moments was - was it the headlights of a vehicle piercing the darkness, or was it the bright moonlight of the Snake River Canyon shining on the road? Was her last look at the roaring steel machine, or at her little bear? Was it with a hint of nostalgia for freedom, or with astonishment at the irresistible fate?

Both powerful and fragile, just like the essence of all life.

Author:antares

Editor: Mai Mai

Title image source: Syler Peralta-Ramos

This article comes from GuokrNature (ID: GuokrNature)