A grizzly bear was captured and put down on Saturday in central Alberta, as confirmed by provincial authorities. Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services trapped the bear in the vicinity of Red Lodge Provincial Park, located southwest of Red Deer, according to a statement provided to CBC News. The province stated that the bear was suspected to be the same one that had made an unsuccessful attempt to access a chicken coop on a nearby property on June 3.
Following established provincial guidelines for dealing with grizzly bears and after consultation with Forestry and Parks wildlife management officials, the officers euthanized the bear on the same day. The province mentioned that the grizzly bear’s carcass was given to an Indigenous individual for traditional purposes.
Kim Titchener, the founder of Bear Safety & More, highlighted that bear encounters in central Alberta have been on the rise. She emphasized that grizzly bears are moving back into habitats they once occupied, now encountering human populations in those areas. Titchener cited two fatal grizzly attacks near Water Valley and Waiparous in central Alberta in 2021.
Another incident in 2024 involved a grizzly attack on a hunter near Madden, leading to severe injuries. DNA testing confirmed that this bear was the same one responsible for a fatal attack near Waiparous three years earlier.
Titchener recommended precautions for residents living in bear country, such as removing bird feeders, securing compost, and not leaving dog food outside. She stressed the importance of adapting to the presence of grizzly bears in these habitats and managing the situation effectively.
The province justified the killing of the grizzly bear based on established provincial response guidelines for dealing with problematic bear behavior. Grizzly bears have been considered a threatened species in Alberta since 2010, with hunting banned since 2006 except for Indigenous subsistence or cultural purposes. The Wildlife Management Responder Network, introduced in 2024, permits approved hunters to eliminate “problem” grizzlies on a case-by-case basis.
According to the latest estimates by the Alberta government, the grizzly bear population exceeds 1,150 bears, although a provincial study on grizzly numbers has not been conducted since 2018. The recovery plan includes measures to protect and restore grizzly habitat in designated bear management areas, minimize human-wildlife conflicts, reduce human-caused grizzly bear mortality, and promote bear coexistence through BearSmart programs across Alberta.