CALGARY — Alberta's Ministry of Forestry and Parks says three problem grizzly bears have been killed in Alberta under the Wildlife Management Responder Network in June, emphasizing concerns about public safety as their population rebounds."People in the country that live alongside grizzly bears, and some that haven't traditionally lived alongside grizzly bears, are now, and I think there's a lot of concerns," said Minser of Forestry and Parks Todd Loewen in an interview with the Western Standard..Albertans have raised concerns about Alberta's rising grizzly population for several years, as the species' has rebounded to an estimated 1,150 bears after hunting was made illegal in 2006 and the species was declared "threatened" in 2010, when its population was estimated at 700-800 bears. The Government of Alberta instituted the Wildlife Management Responders Network in 2024, giving wildlife management responders and eligible Albertans the authority to euthanize a problem grizzly when officers determine it is appropriate.The program led to just one bear’s death in 2025, but a 500% spike with five grizzlies euthanized under the program in the first half of 2026 underscores what Loewen says is a rising number of problem bear reports. "You know, there's people that won't send their kids to the bus stop alone anymore, or they'll drive them to the bus stop just to make sure that they're safe because they know the grizzly bears around," Loewen said. A pair of incidents in June in Kananaskis, including one in which a grizzly attempted to attack a hiker's dog, have helped reignite public concerns. Loewen claims that while public safety is always an important concern, his ministry has seen bears causing more problems for agriculture and farming. Data from Alberta's Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services reported that grizzlies killed 127 livestock in 2025 and 160 in 2024..In March, the Alberta Rural Municipalities Association passed a motion calling on the RMA to lobby the government to increase efforts to better understand the current state of Alberta's grizzly population and to reassess management efforts, including possibly loosening the hunting ban. "They are the people that have to live with the wildlife directly, and so, we definitely weight that heavily, and we want to make sure that we don't want to dismiss their concerns and their requests for action," Loewen said. "So that is something we're taking very seriously." Loewen said that "all options are on the table" when considering how to address public safety concerns, but in January, he told the Western Standard that they must also balance them with the ecological and scientific risks that could reignite the population problems that sparked Alberta's strict regulations.According to him, the Ministry of Environment and Protected Areas, as well as the Forest Research Institute, are conducting research to help gain a firm understanding of the current status of Alberta's grizzly population. "It is good to have that kind of information, kind of the scientific information on populations and distribution, but we know that we can't wait to act on some of these things," Loewen said. When it comes to loosening Alberta's grizzly hunting regulations, which Loewen is often asked about, he claims the government does not currently have such plans but is "considering everything." .In the meantime, as Albertans prepare to flock to the mountains as summer rolls on, Loewen emphasizes the importance of being "bear aware." "They need to understand the risks," Loewen said. "We encourage people to carry bear spray if they're hiking out in the woods. We encourage people to make noise, travel in groups, and all those different things. "Those things can be successful in avoiding grizzly bear contact, but there's no sure way. I mean, if you're spending time in the outdoors, there's a certain amount of risk that's there all the time." Individuals can find more information about wildlife safety precautions on the Government of Alberta's website.
