After camping out through a rare September blizzard that knocked down trees and power lines, awakening to a glorious sunrise in a landscape transformed by heavy snowfall, I was then lucky enough to find the 24-year-old Matriarch of the Tetons, Grizzly 399, and her four cubs celebrating an early autumn powder day with a brisk race toward a frozen berry patch," wrote photographer Charlie Lansche. "This was the type of surprise encounter that I dream of as a nature photographer, and one that fills my heart with gratitude, joy, and hope that the wild places on earth shall forever remain that way. September 9, 2020.
by Sophie Tsairis
In a heartbreaking blow to wildlife lovers near and far, Grand Teton National Park on Tuesday lost another of Grizzly Bear 399’s offspring in yet another motor vehicle collision.
Park officials confirmed Tuesday that they found the five-year-old male 1058 deceased along Highway 26 within the park east of the Buffalo Fork River becoming the latest casualty in Grizzly 399's legacy.
The news comes just six months after the tragic loss of the Queen of the Tetons herself, who met the same fate in the Snake River Canyon south of Jackson Hole last October. Grizzly 1058 was one of the famous quadruplets born in May 2020 — a rare litter that captured public fascination and international media attention. Another of the quad, 1057, was euthanized by wildlife officials in July 2022 following 13 documented conflicts with humans.
A park ranger discovered the deceased 1058 near the Buffalo Fork River, where investigators determined it had traveled approximately 125 yards into a willow thicket after being struck by a vehicle before succumbing to injuries.
Park rangers and law enforcement coordinated with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to investigate the incident. Currently, grizzly bears in the Lower 48 states remain a threatened species under Endangered Species Act protection. On January 8, FWS announced a new comprehensive approach to long-term grizzly bear recovery. A series of federal public meetings on the subject were canceled shortly after the Trump administration took office. According to the agency’s “Grizzly Bear Lower 48 Rulemaking” website, a final decision is expected by January 2026.
The Queen: Grizzly 399. Photo by Charlie Lansche/LastChanceGallery.com
The bear was identified through ear tags and a passive integrated transponder tag as Grizzly 1058. Though rangers had occasionally observed 1058 in the park since he was weaned in 2022, no confirmed sightings were reported this spring.
This marks the third of 399's offspring to die in a vehicle collision. Of her 18 cubs born over her lifetime, 11 have now died, most in various conflicts with humans.
Grizzly 399 was just one of at least 46 bears killed by human conflict in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in 2024, according to data compiled by the U.S. Department of Interior.
Vehicle collisions represent a significant danger to area grizzlies. Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team records show that between 2009 and 2023, 49 Greater Yellowstone grizzlies were killed on roadways — including one of Grizzly 399's cubs in 2016. The agency reports that vehicle strikes claim an average of three bears annually in the ecosystem.
According to a May 6 press release by the National Park Service, and following standard protocol, rangers returned the bear's remains to the natural landscape within Grand Teton National Park.
Less than two months have passed since the first confirmed grizzly bear sighting of the 2025 season in GTNP.
Mountain Journal will update this story as additional information becomes available.
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About Sophie Tsairis
Sophie Tsairis is a freelance writer based in Bozeman, Montana. She earned a master's degree in environmental journalism from the University of Montana in 2017.
