Residents of the Stoney Nakoda First Nation, located west of Calgary, are being advised to exercise caution after a grizzly sow bluff-charged a man in the community on July 7. The man was walking near the east end of Chiniki Lake along Chiniki Lake Road when he encountered the mother bear and her two cubs, according to Reg Fountain, the First Nation's director of emergency management.
“When the mother grizzly and the cubs appeared and when the mother thought it was too close, it bluff-charged,” said Fountain. He emphasized that the encounter was not an attack, but warned, “You do not want to get between a mother bear and her two cubs.” The man retreated safely and no injuries were reported.
Bear advisory and ongoing vigilance
Following the incident, Fountain erected a warning sign in the area. However, the sow and her cubs have not been sighted since the bluff charge. Fountain noted that many such encounters go unreported in the rural community, which lies on the eastern slopes of the Rockies.
In addition to bears, cougars are a concern in the region. “Grizzlies will only attack in defence of themselves and their cubs while cougars will hunt dogs for food and even use it as a teaching tool for their cubs,” said Fountain. He added, “Bears will move on but cougars become more of a risk to companion animals and livestock — we’re always very vigilant when it comes to calving and foaling time.”
Provincial context and human-wildlife conflict
The incident adds to a growing number of human-grizzly encounters in the mountains and foothills west of Calgary this spring and summer. Some ranchers, particularly in southwestern Alberta, report increasing livestock losses to grizzlies and have requested more flexibility in managing problem bears. A provincial program introduced in 2024 allows qualified hunters to kill problem bears that are without cubs; at least four bears have been destroyed under this program so far.
However, members of the Stoney Nakoda First Nation are extremely reluctant to kill grizzlies. “These animals are considered sacred and they don’t want to harvest it unless it’s a last resort,” said Fountain.
