Bear attack in Rocky View County linked to fatal 2021 incident; search continues

On Thursday, Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement (FWES) said its officers continue to search for a grizzly bear responsible for an attack last weekend in Rocky View County near Madden that left one animal seriously injured.

Officials added that they are using traps and low-flying aircraft and that residents in the area should expect an increased police presence.

In a social media post, authorities advised: “Alberta residents in the Madden area are urged to remain vigilant.”

Earlier this week, the province also released a statement following the bear attack, saying that FWES had determined through DNA samples that the bear was also responsible for a fatal attack that occurred near the village of Waiparous in 2021.

On September 1, FWES first received a report from the RCMP of a person attacked by a female grizzly bear along with young bears near the hamlet of Madden.

“The person, who was in a wooded area at the time, suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries.”

The Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Service urges residents and visitors to be cautious outdoors and to carry deterrents such as noisemakers and bear spray.

Alberta residents are urged to report any sightings of female grizzly bears with cubs in the Madden area, particularly between Lochend Road and Highway 22, to the Report-A-Poacher hotline at 1-800-642-3800.

The attack came after the province announced in July that it would “take a multi-pronged approach to addressing the issue of problematic and dangerous wildlife by offering a range of management tools to address the challenges and ensure the safety of Albertans.”

In a July 9 announcement, the province said it was building a new network of wildlife management responders to prevent dangerous grizzly bear attacks on people and livestock.

“When a problem animal such as a grizzly bear or moose is identified, members of the accredited network help ensure rapid response times to conflicts in all regions of Alberta. This response could include tracking and euthanizing a problem animal while following all rules and regulations. This is not a bear hunt, but a measure to ensure the safety of people and livestock,” the province said.

The province announced that in addition to the network of wildlife conservation workers, it will continue to fund educational initiatives to prevent human-wildlife conflict.

“The Community Bear Smart Grant Program has received $100,000 in funding to help community organizations educate Albertans about bear protection. Other initiatives include the Waterton Biosphere – Carnivores and Communities program, which provides ranchers and rural Albertans with methods to avoid conflict and losses from carnivores. Programs such as the Wildlife Aversion Program have also successfully conditioned wildlife populations to avoid areas frequently used by humans.”

The province added: “Another way to limit negative interactions between people and grizzly bears is to restore important habitats for a range of species by giving them the space and food they need.”

“Last year, extensive habitat improvement work took place as part of improvements to Kananaskis parks and campgrounds, and more projects are underway.”

In July, the government said that so far in 2024, there have been “significantly more reports than usual of problematic – and dangerous – interactions between grizzly bears and people, between grizzly bears and animals, and of agricultural losses due to moose foraging.”

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