OTTAWA, Oct 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A grizzly bear attacked and killed two people in Banff National Park west of Sundre, Alta., on Friday night, Parks Canada says.
The people who died were common-law partners, according to a family member of one of the deceased. The couple’s dog, who was with them at the time, was also killed.
“They were long-term partners who loved the outdoors and were inseparable,” read a statement from the family member.
Parks Canada received an alert from a GPS device in the Red Deer River Valley west of Ya Ha Tinda Ranch at about 8 p.m. on Friday indicating a bear attack, said Natalie Fay, external relations manager for the Banff field unit.
In a statement, Fay said a team specially trained in wildlife attacks was immediately mobilized, but weather hindered their response time.
“The response team arrived on-site at 1 a.m. and discovered two deceased individuals.”
While in the area, the response team encountered a grizzly bear displaying aggressive behaviour, Fay said, leading Parks Canada staff to destroy the animal on-site for public safety.
RCMP arrived at 5 a.m. to transport the victims to Sundre, Alta., she said.
“This is a tragic incident and Parks Canada wishes to express its sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims,” the statement read.
Only 14% of grizzly bear attacks worldwide lead to fatalities, said Fay, making this incident a rare occurrence.
Fay added that one of the reasons Parks Canada responders would kill a bear on-the-spot is if it was behaving aggressively toward them.
“Obviously they had to take that bear’s life so that they could hopefully get to those people. But unfortunately, it was too late.”
Parks Canada said a closure order is in place around the area where the couple were attacked — including the Red Deer and Panther valleys, from Snow Creek Summit east to the National Park boundary, and north to Shale Pass — until further notice as a safety precaution. — NNN-AGENCIES