Canada grizzly bear attack victims were on permitted hike, carrying bear spray - not guns

[Dan Sherwood]

Oct 3 (Reuters) - The two people killed by a grizzly bear in Alberta's
Banff National Park last week were on a permitted hiking and camping trip
and there was no active bear warning at the time incident, Canadian park
officials said on Tuesday.

Park staff found two cans of bear spray at the scene and that the
individuals' food had been hung appropriately to avoid attracting animals,
Parks Canada said in a statement.

The deaths were the first from a grizzly bear in Banff National Park in
decades and involved a bear that was not collared, tagged or previously
known to park staff, according to the statement.

Parks Canada was alerted about the bear attack late Friday and the
response team shot and killed the animal when it charged at them.

Officials, through a necropsy, determined the bear to be a non-lactating
older female, estimated to be over 25 years old. The bear was in fair
condition but had less than normal body fat for this time of year and had
bad teeth.

"Parks Canada does not believe another bear was involved at this time," it
said, adding that an area closure has been put in place out of an
abundance of caution.

Parks Canada said it will not release information related to the victims'
identities. The victims were a Canadian couple and their dog, according to
Kim Titchener, the founder of Bear Safety and More and also a friend of
the family.

Bear sightings increase during autumn as they become more active searching
for food ahead of hibernating in the cold winter months. Banff National
Park, which attracts more than 4 million tourists every year, is home to
both grizzly and black bears.

There are about 60 grizzly bears in Banff National Park and are considered
to be a threatened population in Alberta. Over the last 10 years, there
have been three recorded non-fatal, contact encounters with grizzly bears
in the Park.

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/canada-grizzly-bear-attack-victims-
were-permitted-hike-carrying-bear-spray-2023-10-03/