RIP Little Snowy Faced Cub

Word from Grand Teton National Park earlier this week brought devastating news!  The little first year cub of GTNP grizzly bear #399 was hit and killed by a motor vehicle sometime the evening of Sunday, June 19th.

The local wildlife watchers, photographers and community at large are overwhelmed with grief and anger of the apparent hit and run accident that killed the male cub affectionately known in the park as "Snowy" . . . I just called the little fella "the snowy faced cub."

It is a stark reminder that the animals in our US National Parks are vulnerable to humans wherever they may be.  And while Momma #399 choose to be a road bear in hopes of protecting her cubs (Snowy and all prior cubs) from attacks from the male grizzlies, being a road bear brought other risks including autos and trucks.

There have been a lot of stories told about #399 over her 20 year life.  She is reportedly one of the most famous bears in America thanks to a book featuring her and others in the Grand Teton NP area known as "Pilgrim Creek."

My heart sank when I read about the little snowy faced cub's death on Monday morning.  Reading the first hand accounts of how #399 attempted to rescue him and subsequently went looking for his precious little body after park biologists removed it from the area later that day, was nothing less than heart breaking.

I pray for her, that she doesn't herself wander into the road after dark and suffer a similar fate.  I also hope that the tourists in the park give her plenty of space as she continues to frequent the road through the park.  Reports yesterday afternoon were that because she returned to the area where her cub was killed, park visitors were stopping in overwhelming numbers to observe her.  Most were probably unaware that she had just recently lost her cub and was frantically searching for him.

I was planning to post a photo that I took of him as he crossed the road immediately next to my van back on June 2nd.  But the fact that he was killed in the road, crossing as he had probably done dozens of times before, following his mom . . . just didn't seem like the right way to remember him.

RIP beautiful little snowy faced cub.

National Geographic article

WashingtonPost.com article

Deby Dixon Interview video