Grizzly bear kills couple and their dog in Canada national park

In a rare grizzly bear attack, two people and their dog lost their lives in Banff National Park, Canada and the park rangers later killed the bear.

The couple was not identified yet but “loved the outdoors and were inseparable”, said a family member, in a statement.

“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,” they added.

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As per the family member of one of the deceased, the couple was visiting the national park regularly while in the backcountry. They also went to the national park on Friday at 5 p.m. when a notification was sent to them that they had reached the camp safely.

The camp was located in the Red Deer River Valley, which has rugged terrain west of Ya Ha Tinda Ranch and an area of steep cliffs.

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Later in the night, a distress notification was received by the park staff from a satellite device which requested help following a bear attack. A specialised team, which handles wildlife attacks, was dispatched immediately but the rescue was hampered by poor weather and they were not able to use a helicopter.

Bear killed for demonstrating ‘aggressive behaviour’

Throughout the night, the team travelled by foot and reached the remote campsite around 1 am Saturday morning, where they discovered the dead body of the couple and their dog, who had lost their lives in the encounter with a grizzly bear.

The bear was reported to be demonstrating “aggressive behaviour” and Parks Canada killed it “to ensure public safety”. Hours later, the RCMP arrived to transport the victims to Sundre, which is a town nearly 50 miles east of the place where the attack took place.

“This is a tragic incident, and Parks Canada wishes to express its sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims,” said the agency, in a statement.

The fatalities were the first to be reported in half a century within Banff National Park’s border, although a spate of attacks was experienced by the region in the summer of 1980 by the “Black Grizzly of Whiskey Creek” – one of which turned fatal.

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Experts claim that bears generally leave the area after carrying out a “defensive” attack, including when they get startled by humans. However, when the Parks Canada team reached, they found the bear along with the victims.

A necropsy of the bear will be conducted by the biologists and then a forensic investigation of the site will be completed by Parks Canada to understand what might have happened to the victims.

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