Two grizzly bears were illegally shot and killed on the same day along a highway northwest of Calgary, according to Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement officials, who are seeking public assistance in identifying the perpetrator.
Details of the Incident
In a post on X Thursday, Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement revealed that a second bear had been found fatally shot along Highway 734 near Sundre, approximately 100 kilometres northwest of Calgary. This followed an earlier notification on June 17 that a grizzly had been illegally killed near the same location on June 14, though that date was later corrected to June 13.
“Officers believed both were killed on June 13,” stated the agency. The shootings occurred in an area known as Rig Street and were initially reported by someone who heard a gunshot on June 13. “At approximately 8:30 p.m., the complainant reported hearing a gunshot and observed a black 2003-2006 Chevrolet Crew Cab Duramax diesel truck with tinted windows and a loud exhaust travelling north on Rig Street at a high speed,” said a social media post.
Characteristics of the Bears
The bears were male, weighed between 200 and 300 pounds, and were three to four years old, said provincial officials. There is no mention of any parts being extracted from their carcasses, suggesting the killings may not have been for trophy or body parts.
Possible Motives and Suspects
A former Alberta Fish and Wildlife officer who has investigated multiple instances of grizzly poachings said his former colleagues will likely be seeking a suspect motivated to kill bears. “I’d be checking if some rancher had some of his livestock killed (by a bear), maybe they were denied compensation,” said John Clarke, who now operates a bear safety consultancy in the Crowsnest Pass. “Or somebody had a scary incident with a grizzly bear, and ‘now I want every bear dead.’ This is vindictive, someone’s mad at something.” Clarke added that the suspect or suspects likely live in the area where the shootings occurred.
Conservation Status and Context
Grizzly bears are deemed a threatened species in Alberta, and a moratorium on hunting them has been in place since 2006. However, two years ago, the provincial government initiated a program for qualified private hunters to shoot problem grizzlies. So far, at least two have been killed under the program. Clarke noted that the latest grizzly deaths occurred in a province divided in its views toward large predators such as bears. “Half the people want every grizzly and predator killed because they’re scared of them, and the other half want them around,” he said.
While it is believed the moratorium and other conservation measures have increased the species’ population, it has been 12 years since a count has been conducted, and the province’s belief that they could now number around 1,500 is treated skeptically by experts. According to the province, 58 grizzlies were reported to have been illegally killed between 2013 and 2022, though the largest known source of death was from vehicle collisions, at 66. Another 57 died as a result of their removal for being problem animals. In those years, the known non-natural mortality among the bears totalled 235 animals, though Clarke said it is an incomplete figure, with some deaths going unreported or unfiled.
How to Report Information
Anyone with information on the Sundre-area shootings is asked to call the Report a Poacher line at 1-800-642-3800 or file a report online at alberta.ca/report-poacher.
