Recent grizzly encounters in Jasper National Park due to human food: officials

Human food left by Jasper National Park visitors has attracted grizzly bears twice in recent weeks, park officials say. 

As a result, a mother and her cubs needed to be relocated after becoming "food conditioned," the park announced Tuesday alongside a warning to the public. 

The bear family approached a picnic area near Lake Annette and Lake Edith on July 24 while people were around. They ate food that had been left behind at two different sites and returned later in the day to investigate a bag that had been left at the shore of Lake Edith. 

An undated photo of a grizzly bear family in Jasper National Park that needed to be relocated after becoming food conditioned in July 2023. (Credit: Jasper National Park)

On July 26, a grizzly found food left on a picnic table at the sixth bridge of Maligne Canyon that hikers had momentarily left. The animal left the area after 20 minutes and has not been involved in any incidents since but is being monitored. 

"Parks Canada needs the support of all visitors and community members to ensure that wildlife attractants and human food are not accessible to wildlife in the park," Jasper National Park said in a statement. 

No humans were hurt in either event. 

FAMILY STILL BEING MONITORED 

Jasper park officials are also keeping an eye on the family it relocated to a southern area. 

Previously, the three bears had been feeding in the valley near the bottom of the Jasper townsite. 

"Parks Canada’s human-wildlife coexistence specialists used a variety of actions over the last several months to move the bears away from day-use areas, roadsides and the golf course. As the bears often fed in high human-use areas, many people and photographers were able to watch them for extended periods of time and at close distances. This repeated exposure to people in close proximity contributed to the bears becoming habituated to people," Jasper National Park said. 

"Once a bear becomes food-conditioned and loses its caution towards humans, it is a risk to human safety and options for managing the bear become limited. Parks Canada considered several courses of action for this female bear and her cubs. Relocation within the park is one of the options when it is no longer possible to safely manage a bear in its home range."

The trio was captured in a "family trap" on July 27. Before they were released in a southern area of the park, a GPS collar was put on the mother so officials could track the family's movement and intervene if necessary in the future. 

The family had not required intervention before, the park says. 

While relocation prevents any further food conditioning by the bears and increases human safety, the process of being trapped and relocated to an unfamiliar area can be stressful and risky, especially to cubs. 

They've since been seen along the Icefields Parkway near the Jasper-Banff park boundary. 

A grizzly bear family that needed to be relocated within Jasper National Park after becoming food conditioned in July 2023 was seen in the alpine near the Jasper-Banff park boundary on Aug. 1. (Source: Jasper National Park)

"Please stay in your vehicle and do not stop to view the collared grizzly and cubs to prevent further habituation," the park said. 

BEAR RULES 

Parks Canada recommends visitors:

• follow the "Bare Campsite" guidelines;
• maintain a distance of 100 metres from bears and following wildlife viewing restrictions;
• if approached by a wild animal, move calmly to the safety of a hard-sided vehicle or shelter and take food or garbage if it is safe to do so;
• keep pets on a leash, as is required by law; and
• report bear activity in a town or busy visitor area to Parks Canada Dispatch at 780-852-6155 as quickly as possible.