The 16-month-old bear was shot dead after it wandered near children on private land north of its release point.
The bear, released in a remote southwestern Alberta location on June 20, travelled about 120 kilometres to an area where it encountered humans and was subsequently shot and killed. No charges will be laid in this matter. The government continues to monitor a female bear, which was released along with the male, and which has remained in the vicinity of the release point.
The government is concerned about the abnormal behaviour demonstrated by the male bear, including its migration since release and its habituation behaviour demonstrated prior to its death.
“We are saddened to learn of the death of this young male black bear. Typically, we do not expect a young black bear to wander or remain near humans. Bears that become habituated to humans start to see us as a source of food and become dangerous. Given the circumstances around its death, we will be reviewing the data collected since its release, as well as reviewing its rehabilitation experience. We are obviously concerned for the fate of the young female bear and will be continuing to monitor its progress closely.”
Quick facts
- The two bears were fitted with radio collars to track their movements and success on reintegration into the wild.
- The criteria for successful reintegration include
- Ability for the bears to forage on their own
- Appropriate socialization with other bears
- Decreased likelihood of human-bear conflict.
- More than 40,000 black bears live in Alberta. In a given year, about 10,000 black bear cubs are born.