A couple and their dog have tragically died after being attacked by a grizzly bear last month while hiking in Canada’s popular Banff National Park.
The “tragic incident” was recently detailed on the park’s Facebook page.
According to the post, the situation came to light on Friday, September 29 after Parks Canada Dispatch in Banff National Park received an alert from an inReach/GPS device indicating a bear attack.
The shipment reportedly originated in the Red Deer River Valley, west of the Ya Ha Tinda Ranch, a remote region 80 miles northwest of Calgary, Alberta.
They then dispatched a “Wildlife Human Attack Response Team,” which arrived at the site around 1 a.m. to find two dead individuals.
While in the area, the team encountered a grizzly bear that was “exhibiting aggressive behavior,” prompting Parks Canada staff to clear it on site “to ensure public safety.”
Police arrived several hours later and transported the victims and their dog, who was also killed in the attack, to Sundre, Alberta.
Although the deceased couple has not yet been named, a family member of one of the victims described them in a statement as “long-term partners who loved the outdoors and were inseparable,” the CBC reported.
“They live in the countryside and are two of the most careful people I know,” said the grieving brother. “They know bear protocol and follow it to a high degree.”
“This is a tragic incident and Parks Canada would like to extend its condolences to the family and friends of the victims,” Banff National Park wrote on their Facebook page.
Details of the attack remain unclear; However, experts think that it may be caused by a surprise attack with the animal.
“They can startle a bear at close range and have an encounter that leads to a defensive attack,” said Kim Titchener, founder of the Alberta-based organization Bear Safety and More. “It is extremely rare to see a predatory attack by a grizzly bear, but not unheard of.”
He thinks that the victims may still be hiking or setting up their camp when they encounter the grizzly, adding that bears are usually more active at dusk.
However, family members of one of the deceased denied this theory. They claimed that the couple, who checked in each night, sent them a GPS alert at 5pm saying they were setting up camp for the night.
“This means they don’t travel after dark and they don’t set up camp when attacks happen,” they said.
Currently, deaths from grizzly bear attacks are extremely rare with only 14% of them resulting in death, according to Kitchener.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
