The Banff National Park is believed to be home to 60 grizzly bears
In a rare instance, a couple and their pet dog were killed by a grizzly bear in Canada's Banff National Park in Alberta. The tragic incident happened around 8 pm on Friday in the Red Deer River Valley, west of Ya Ha Tinda Ranch, when the couple encountered the bear, according to a report by the Independent. The bear was later euthanized by park authorities.
Notably, Parks Canada Dispatch in Banff National Park received a GPS alert on Friday evening indicating that a bear attack had taken place. A Wildlife Human Attack Response Team was mobilised whose members are specially trained in responding to wildlife attacks. The response team traveled through the night to the location by ground as weather conditions at the time did not allow for helicopter use. Around 1 a.m. Saturday morning, they discovered the dead body of the couple and their dog.
''While in the area, the response team encountered a grizzly bear that displayed aggressive behaviour, leading Parks Canada staff to euthanize the bear on-site to ensure public safety,'' a Facebook post by the park authorities read.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) later transported the victims' bodies to the town of Sundre in the early hours of Saturday morning.
While they were not identified, a family member told CBC News the people who died were a Canadian couple who were experienced, backcountry hikers. "They lived for being in the backcountry and were two of the most cautious people I know. They knew the bear protocol and followed it to a tee," the family member told CBC News in a statement.
''This is a tragic incident and Parks Canada wishes to express its sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims,'' Banff National Park wrote on their Facebook page.
The Banff National Park is believed to be home to 60 grizzly bears, and the population is considered to be under threat in Alberta.
Notably, the deadly attack happened just weeks after a grizzly bear was euthanized for attacking a woman in Montana in West Yellowstone. Bear attacks on humans are extremely rare according to Reuters with only 14% resulting in death. Kim Titchener, the founder of Bear Safety, said such encounters are increasing as more people head outdoors but fatal attacks are extremely rare. She said the majority of bear attacks tend to be caused by surprise run-ins.
''They could have surprised a bear at close range and had an encounter that led to a defensive attack. It's extremely rare to see predatory attacks by grizzly bears, but not unheard of,'' she added.