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 near Red Lodge Provincial Park, situated southwest of Red Deer, according to a statement issued 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 grizzly bear response and with guidance from 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 provided to an Indigenous individual for traditional use. Kim Titchener, the founder of Bear Safety & More, highlighted that encounters with bears in central Alberta have been on the rise. She emphasized that grizzly bears are reclaiming habitats they once inhabited and are now encountering growing human populations in those areas.
Titchener referred to two fatal grizzly attacks near Water Valley and Waiparous in central Alberta in 2021 and a grizzly mauling near Madden in 2024. The DNA testing confirmed that the bear involved in the Madden incident was the same one that had killed a man near Waiparous three years earlier.
Addressing the increasing conflicts in bear country, Titchener recommended precautions such as using electric fencing around chicken coops, removing bird feeders, securing compost, and not leaving dog food outside. She stressed the need for a shift in mindset to coexist with grizzly bears in outlying habitats and manage the situation rather than resorting to lethal measures.
The province defended the killing of the grizzly bear based on established provincial response guidelines specific to grizzly bears. Grizzly bears have been considered a threatened species in Alberta since 2010, with hunting banned since 2006 except for Indigenous hunting for cultural or subsistence reasons. The Wildlife Management Responder Network, introduced in 2024, permits approved hunters to target “problem” grizzlies on a case-by-case basis.
The latest population estimate for grizzly bears in Alberta exceeds 1,150, although there has not been a provincial study on grizzly numbers since 2018. The recovery plan focuses on safeguarding grizzly habitats, minimizing human-wildlife conflicts and mortalities, and promoting bear coexistence through various BearSmart programs across Alberta.
