Couple and their dog mauled to death by grizzly bear during camping trip

02 October 2023 , 16:46

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The attack was the second fatal grizzly attack in North America since July (Image: Getty Images)

A grizzly bear killed a couple and their dog while they were camping in a park.

The seasoned hikers sent out an emergency GPS alert on Friday night indicating they had been attacked in the Banff National Park in Canada.

A wildlife injury specialised team rushed to the scene via helicopter. Tragically, poor weather forced them to abandon the mission and forced the crew to travel on the ground, costing precious time.

The Parks Canada team arrived at 1am on Sunday morning, over 24 hours after the GPS alert had been sent, to find the couple and their dog dead. According to reports, the grizzly bear was killed in the interest of public safety after being found still in the area and exhibiting “aggressive behaviour.”

Sundre Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrived four hours later and transported the victims to Sundre, in central Alberta.

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A family member of the couple told CBC: "They were long-term partners who loved the outdoors and were inseparable. They lived for being in the backcountry and were two of the most cautious people I know. They knew bear protocol and followed it to a tee."

Experts say bear attacks are becoming more common as warm weather means people are more likely to come outdoors (Getty Images)

The family member said they had received a notification via inReach, a satellite communicator used by campers in remote locations, at 5 p.m. on Friday letting them know the couple had set up camp for the night.

“They checked in every night,” the family member said. “This means they were not travelling after dark and they were not setting up camp when the attack happened.”

A statement from Banff National Park said: “This is a tragic incident and Parks Canada wishes to express its sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims.”

The national park is a popular tourist attraction, attracting over four million every year. It is also home to both grizzly and black bears.

Kim Titchener, who provides training on bear safety and bear assessments, said there are around 65 grizzly bears in Banff National Park. They are considered to be a threatened population in Alberta, which has a total grizzly population of 691.

She said bear attacks are becoming more common as warm weather means more people are more likely to head outdoors, but she added fatal attacks remain extremely rare.

"It's really just the reason why we're seeing more attacks, which is more people heading outdoors and unfortunately not being educated on this," she said, adding that only 14 per cent of grizzly bear attacks worldwide lead to fatalities.

The Banff National Park attack was the second fatal grizzly attack in North America since July.

Connie Bowker