Dog owners charged after pet killed by black bear in Jasper National Park

A black bear is seen in an undated file photo.

Two hikers face potential fines after a bear in Jasper National park killed their off-leash dog in the spring.

A black bear attacked the pet on Wabasso Lake Trail on April 22.

The bear was destroyed due to the threat to public safety and the safety of park visitors, Parks Canada told CTV News Edmonton on Tuesday.

The hikers were charged in May with two counts of violating Section 5 of the National Parks of Canada Domestic Animals Regulations: unlawfully failing to have a domestic animal under physical control and unlawfully allowing a domestic animal to chase wildlife.

They must appear in court in October and could be ordered to pay up to $25,000 under the Canada National Parks Act.

On all Parks Canada properties, dogs must be on a leash no longer than three metres.

"Wildlife are unpredictable; an off-leash dog can trigger aggressive behaviour from predators like bears, wolves or coyotes. Predators see free-running, off-leash dogs as competition or prey, and may either attack the dog, or follow the dog back to its owners or other people.

"After repeat encounters with off-leash dogs, wildlife can lose their natural wariness of humans and become a public safety risk," Parks Canada said in a statement.