Alberta Taking New Measures to Manage ‘Problem’ Grizzlies Amid Rising Attacks

A grizzly bear is seen fishing along a river in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park near Bella Coola, B.C. on Sept 10, 2010. Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press

Increasing reports of bear attacks on people and livestock has prompted the Alberta government to take new steps to deal with “problem” wildlife.

The government has announced the creation of a network of wildlife management responders to provide rapid conflict response in situations of deadly grizzly bear attacks as well as addressing agricultural losses due to elks foraging.

Responses to bears or elk identified as “problem wildlife” include tracking and euthanasia, in compliance with existing rules and regulations. The government emphasized it is “not a bear hunt,” but a measure to ensure the safety of humans and livestock.

“The loss of even one human life because of a grizzly bear attack is one too many,” Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen said in a July 9 press release. “We are taking a proactive approach to help Albertans co-exist with wildlife through our new wildlife management program.”

There were three bear attacks in 2020 while nine attacks by black bears and grizzly bears were recorded in 2021. There have been a total of 104 attacks between 2000 and 2021, according to government estimates.

More than 140 head of livestock have been killed by grizzly bears and black bears between 2023 and 2024. The loss of 97 cattle, 23 sheep, one goat, and 21 hogs amounted to $153,649 in losses, according to Wildlife Predator Compensation Program stats. Crop losses have amounted to $13.3 million.

There are currently more than 1,150 grizzly bears in the province, the province said, up from around 800 in 2021. Their growing number is causing them to move into more populated rural areas, authorities said.

“Due to the increasing number of grizzly bears and the expansion of their territories, there is a heightened safety issue for rural Alberta residents,” said Dave Cox, reeve of the Municipal District of Pincher Creek, a town in Southern Alberta.

The Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA) opposed the government’s new measures, arguing it enables people to hunt grizzly bears.

“This new policy incentivizes people interested in hunting grizzlies to allow bears to become habituated, creating a hunting ‘opportunity,'” AMA said in a July 9 press release. “Human-wildlife conflict can be tragic for both bears and people, and should not be viewed as an opportunity for trophy hunting.”

Provincial law allows a grizzly bear to be hunted if it is not accompanied by a cub and is either involved in a human-bear conflict situation, or in another area of concern.

The Alberta Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan lists the primary human-caused reasons for grizzly bear deaths as poaching, vehicle collisions, and human-bear conflicts.

In addition to the new measures to prevent human-wildlife conflict, the Alberta government continues to fund initiatives, such as the Community Bear Smart Grant Program, aiming to educate Albertans about bear safety.

The province is also working to limit negative human-grizzly bear interactions by restoring important habitats that provide many species with the space and food they need.