Grizzly 399, 1996 – 2024

World-famous grizzly bear 399 was hit and killed by a car on Oct. 22 in Wyoming; at 28, she was the oldest-known mamma bear in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (her last cubs were born in 2023). 399 was the subject of several books, and a recent PBS documentary. Author Todd Wilkinson noted that “She’s more well-behaved a lot of times than people around her. But she’s wild.” Park rangers had to spend much time shooing “Timothy Treadwells” away from feeding and playing with her and her cubs; 399’s familiarity with people might have led to her wandering haplessly in roadways. She had her own Facebook, Instagram, and X accounts (no, I don’t know how, and seriously, is anyone still on X?).