The attack occurred in the wilderness to the west of Ya Ha Tinda Ranch in Banff National Park. (Wallis Snowdon/CBC)
A remote area
Merle Fox and his wife Laurie have managed Sunset Guiding and Outfitting west of Sundre for the last 14 years. Fox said his camp is roughly three hours west of where the attack happened by horseback.
“Well, I hate to say it, but I wasn’t really surprised,” Fox said in response to hearing about the attack.
“Bears are hungry at this time of the year and there are no berries or a thing out there for them this year.”
Fox said a late frost in spring froze off all the berry blossoms, leading to a shortage of one of bears’ main food groups. He added that faced with a vegetation shortage, grizzly bears will turn to eating deer, young elk, or wild horses instead.
“I think that’s probably why these two people were attacked, is that the bear was hungry and he saw them as an easy target.”
While he’s not too nervous traversing the area given his experience, Fox said he and his guides often head into the backcountry armed, just in case they do encounter a bear.
He said the terrain in the area where the attack occurred is made up of steep cliffs, and is only accessible by foot or on horseback.
The fact that the bear was still in the area when the Parks Canada response team arrived on the scene is “highly unusual”, said Titchener, especially if the attack was a defensive one.
“Usually the attack occurs and then the bear leaves the area,” she said.
“So that of course is concerning and I’m not sure what was going on there, but of course those details will come out as they do the investigation.”
Titchener 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.”
Bear safety still important
Brushing up on bear safety remains a vital tool for hikers and those participating in outdoor activities, said Titchener.
She advised that travelling in groups, making noise to let animals know you’re in the area and carrying bear spray, are all effective ways to prevent attacks from happening.
If people see any signs of bears while they are on a trail, including scat, diggings, claw marks or tracks, or if they see an animal carcass or birds circling, they should leave the area immediately, said Titchener.
Titchener said that if people do encounter a bear, they should stay together as a group and pull out their bear spray. She added that taking a bear safety course can help people further understand bear behaviour and determine whether a bear is acting in a defensive or predatory way.
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.