The Alberta government has reported a significant increase in the number of grizzly bears killed by hunters under its Wildlife Management Responder Network in recent months. This year, a total of 13 grizzly bears have been hunted down in Alberta, with 11 of them being taken out within the past three-and-a-half months, primarily due to livestock predation.
Since its establishment in June 2024, the program has seen a total of 14 grizzly bear killings by authorized hunters, with only one reported in 2025. The province’s team of “problem wildlife” responders, comprising selected Alberta hunters, is called upon when deemed necessary to address situations where a grizzly bear needs to be eliminated.
According to a statement from the provincial ministry, the approach to wildlife management by Forestry and Parks is based on scientific guidance, focusing on public safety, conflict reduction, and grizzly bear population recovery. The province emphasized that all grizzly bear deaths resulting from the program occurred outside designated recovery zones.
Grizzly bears were classified as a threatened species by the Government of Alberta in 2010. The Ministry of Forestry and Parks explained that the management of grizzly bears adheres to provincial guidelines, considering factors such as attacks on livestock, pets, or humans when deciding on responses to incidents. The province noted an average annual removal of 11 grizzly bears from 2021 to 2025, emphasizing that hunting grizzlies has been prohibited in Alberta since 2006, except for Indigenous hunting for subsistence or cultural purposes.
While the number of grizzly bear killings through the Wildlife Management Responder Network has risen, the overall human-caused bear mortality this year in Alberta is lower than usual, with the province highlighting successful progress in achieving recovery goals for the bear population. The majority of grizzly bear incidents occurred in southwestern Alberta, where high bear population density poses challenges for wildlife coexistence in rural communities.
Efforts to manage grizzly bear interactions with human activities in the region include various measures such as coexistence programs, conflict mitigation, and population monitoring. The provincial government has allocated funds to enhance wildlife deterrence strategies around rural properties in southwestern Alberta, aiming to minimize conflicts between large carnivores and residents. Despite an estimated 1,000 grizzlies in Alberta, the last provincial grizzly bear population study dates back to 2018.
