A bear mauled two people in the national park in Alberta

Staff at Banff National Park in Canada's Alberta reported the deaths of two hikers last Sunday. The couple, a man and a woman, and their dog were mauled by a grizzly bear. A specialized response team recovered the bodies five hours after the incident.

What do we know about the dead

A GPS alert was received by park staff immediately, but due to poor weather conditions, the scene had to be reached on foot rather than by helicopter. The bodies were taken to the town of Sandre, where they have not yet been identified. It is expected that the details of the incident, as well as confirmation of the identification of the victims will not be available until tomorrow.

That said, family friend and bear expert Kim Titchener described the victims of the attack as very experienced hikers:

"They were two of the most cautious people I know. They knew bear protocol and followed it to a tee <...> I don’t know if they had bear spray on them. I highly doubt they had food sources that were left out,."

What about the bear?

A grizzly bear found in the same area exhibiting aggressive behavior was tranquilized for safety reasons. The incident site, the area around The Red Deer and Panther Valleys, is now closed to the public.

According to statistics, only 14% of grizzly attacks on humans end in death. However, since July, the case in Alberta is the second such incident in North America. Last time, a bear mauled a woman to death in Yellowstone National Park in the USA.

Authorities' comment

A spokesperson for Alberta Forestry and Parks expressed official regrets on the matter:

"This is a tragic incident, and Parks Canada wishes to express its sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims."

Among the possible reasons for the attack now cautiously cited are the bear's defense of its own prey or aggression toward the dog.