Breaking news: A couple has been devastatingly suspected of having been killed in a grizzly bear attack. The lethal attack happened last week on Friday, September 29, 2023.
This attack happened at Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. This national park is considered to be Canada’s first national park and the flagship of the nation’s park system.
According to the New York Times, Parks Canada received an alert around 8 p.m. on Friday, September 29, 2023. “GPS coordinates showed the alert was sent from west of Ya Ha Tinda Ranch in the Red Deer River Valley, around 80 miles northwest of Calgary, Alberta.”
The team was able to get to this area by 1 a.m. on Saturday, September 30th, 2023. “Parks Canada immediately mobilized a Wildlife Human Attack Response Team whose members are specially trained in responding to wildlife attacks,” Banff National Park said in the statement. “Weather conditions at the time did not allow for helicopter use, and the response team traveled through the night to the location by ground.”
Upon arrival, they found two people dead and a grizzly bear that was close by showing extremely aggressive behavior. It was reported that the Parks Canada team euthanized this giant grizzly bear for the safety of the public.
How Many Grizzly Bears Are in Canada?
Grizzly bears can run up to 35 miles per hour.
©iStock.com/Jess Bray
Before we dive into how many grizzly bears there are in Canada, we need to look at grizzlies as a whole and understand who they are.
Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos Horriblis) of the genus Ursus are large bears. These bears weigh anywhere from 400-800 pounds (181-318 kilograms) and reach between 7-10 feet (2.1-3 meters) in height. These bears are dark brown and black in appearance. Grizzlies have large claws that are perfect for tearing into their prey, foraging for food, or killing.
Grizzlies are omnivores, which means that they will eat both meat and plant matter. Grizzly bears like to eat things such as salmon, fruit, fish, berries, mushrooms, insects, deer, elk, and mice.
Grizzly bears are considered to be a separate subspecies from the brown bear, according to the National Park Service in Alaska. There are estimated to be approximately 60,000 left in North America, where they are located. Of that 60,000, there are around 25,000 grizzlies left in Canada.
The majority of grizzly bear attacks happen because the bear feels threatened in some way. It is estimated that some 40+ attacks happen every year. And while this is sad, it is important to remember that even though grizzly bear attacks are not a normal common occurrence, they do happen and are lethally dangerous when they do.
