Provincial authorities are currently investigating several incidents of illegal poaching involving grizzly bears in Alberta. According to CBC News, Alberta’s Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services are looking into the unlawful killings of four grizzly bears at three distinct locations.
On September 30, a deceased grizzly bear was discovered shot along a road approximately 20 kilometers north of Swan Hills, situated northwest of Edmonton. The following day, on October 1, another grizzly bear was found deceased in a remote area between Little Smoky and Fox Creek, with all four paws removed from the animal. These incidents follow the discovery of two grizzly bears shot dead in June along a road near Sundre, about 95 kilometers northwest of Calgary.
In response to these events, the province issued a statement emphasizing the serious nature of any illegal killing of grizzly bears. Hunting grizzlies has been prohibited in Alberta since 2006, except for harvesting by Indigenous hunters for subsistence or cultural reasons.
Authorities urge anyone with information regarding these poaching incidents or other suspected wildlife offenses to contact the Report-A-Poacher line or submit a report online at alberta.ca/report-poacher. Under the Report-A-Poacher program, individuals providing information leading to charges may be eligible for a cash reward.
Renowned biologist Gordon Stenhouse, known for his research on Alberta’s grizzly bear population, expressed disappointment at the recent poaching incidents, highlighting the disregard and disrespect for wildlife exhibited by such actions. Stenhouse also noted that the actual number of poached bears found is likely only a fraction of the total incidents occurring.
The Alberta government has documented 28 cases of human-caused grizzly bear mortality from 2020 to 2025, representing about 17% of grizzly bear deaths during that period. Leading causes of grizzly bear mortality also include being killed by the province and being struck by vehicles. Grizzly bears have been classified as a threatened species in Alberta since 2010.
Experts like University of Alberta ecology professor Mark Boyce underscore the importance of addressing the root causes of conflicts between humans and bears, advocating for better co-existence strategies over resorting to lethal measures. Bear safety expert Kim Titchener emphasizes the need for proactive resources like electric fencing and bear-resistant containers to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts and reduce grizzly bear deaths in the province.
The Alberta government’s commitment to BearSmart programs and initiatives aimed at minimizing human-wildlife conflicts underscores ongoing efforts to protect the vulnerable grizzly bear population in the region. Despite estimates suggesting around 1,000 grizzlies in Alberta presently, a comprehensive provincial grizzly bear population study has not been conducted since 2018.