A predatory grizzly bear attack late last September that left two people and their dog dead in their Red Deer River campsite has had a sobering effect on backpackers planning another season in the backcountry.
Predatory bear attacks are rare. This one is undoubtedly one of the most bizarre and tragic due to the fact that, despite being in a very remote area of Banff National Park, the 62-year-old couple was able to send a message to the outside world via a Garmin satellite device.
A text message was received by a Banff Park response team at approximately 8pm: “Bear attack bad.” Due to bad weather, the team wasn’t able to utilize a helicopter to access the area. Instead, it reached the attack site by trail from the Ya Ha Tinda Ranch at 1am. They discovered the couple and their dog deceased and an empty can of bear spray. The team was also confronted by an aggressive grizzly bear, which they shot and killed.
Many stories appeared in the media describing the attack: Couple dead after bear attack in Banff National Park, grizzly killed (CBC News); Parks Canada reveals additional details about deadly bear attack in Banff (CTV News); ‘Bear attack bad’: final message of Canadian couple killed by grizzly (The Guardian).
The general opinion from bear experts: the couple did everything right. But a grizzly encounter a few weeks before the attack was a sign an aberrant bear was roaming in the Red Deer River valley environs.
Encounter with an aggressive grizzly
Stuart Howe’s campsite on the Red Deer River after encountering an aggressive grizzly. It was only a few weeks before the fatal attack on two backpackers and their dog near the same location.
Stuart Howe’s photo of the aggressive grizzly bear near Divide Summit.
September 29th reconsidered
In light of Stuart Howe’s description of his encounter, and considering it wasn’t far from the fatal grizzly attack, it seems obvious it was the same bear.
The couple killed in the Red Deer River attack were experienced wilderness backpackers. As reported by a family member, “they were two of the most cautious people I know…. They knew bear protocol and followed it to a tee.” And the couple checked in every night on their satellite GPS unit.
Parks Canada officials concurred. They had the appropriate permits. They had bear spray. They hung their food properly. They were staying in a location where there were no active bear warnings or area closures. In short, they “did everything right.”
Well, not quite. I have NEVER backpacked with a dog. To my mind, and from long experience, dogs and bears should never mix. We will never know the role their dog may have played in the attack, if any, and never will.
As described by Stuart in his dog-less encounter, this was indeed an aberrant bear. Less than 5% of grizzly bears display predatory behaviour. And this bear was pushing the eccentricity envelope.
The future of backcountry bear encounters
Most run-ins with bears are accidental. I was bluff charged by a grizzly on my first-ever backpack when I was 18 years old. I quietly stood my ground (proper procedure, even way-back-then). The bear broke off the charge circa 20m in front of me and sped down the mountainside.
While completing fieldwork on the first edition of the Canadian Rockies Trail Guide, we bumped into a grizzly that molested a hiker the summer before. “Woof!” said the bear and ran off into the woods, and we scurried on down the trail. When I spoke with a warden following our encounter, he indicated the injured backpacker had approached the bear to get a photo while it was feeding on a carcass (another big no-no). Which is why the wardens didn’t destroy the bear.
Other attacks involve mother bears with cubs. If the victim plays dead, the usual scenario is a few bites followed by the bear’s retreat.
But we are entering a new era in the relationship between people and bears. There are more people in the backcountry than ever before. And the pandemic seems to have inspired dog ownership (hikers never want to leave their dogs at home).
Meanwhile, Alberta’s ban on the grizzly bear hunt has resulted in a population increase. It is estimated there were 700 to 800 grizzlies in the the national and provincial parks and adjacent areas on the east side of the divide in 2010. Today, that estimate is 900 to 1,150 animals, and grizzlies are extending their range well beyond the Foothills.
It seems inevitable there will be an increasing number of bear encounters and injuries in the coming years. And occasionally even predatory attacks, like the one on the Red Deer River.
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