Grizzly and her two cubs relocated after eating human food in Jasper National Park
Officials in Jasper National Park say a grizzly and her two cubs had to be relocated due to eating human food at picnic areas late last month.
Parks Canada says on July 24, a female grizzly bear with two cubs fed on human food at Lake Annette and Lake Edith.
As the bears approached the picnic area, people retreated to the safety of their vehicles, and the female and cubs ate food left behind at two picnic sites. Later that day, the bear and cubs pulled items out of a bag on the shore at Lake Edith.
Three days later, Parks Canada captured the female bear and her cubs in a “family trap,” and the mother was fitted with a GPS collar. The family was relocated to a southern area of the park the following day.
The park says staff continues to monitor and manage the bears daily, and the bear family has been sighted along the Icefields Parkway (93N) near the Jasper and Banff National Park boundary.
“Please stay in your vehicle and DO NOT STOP to view the collared grizzly and cubs to prevent further habituation,” the park urged in a Facebook post.
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 Grizzly bear and her cubs, with moving an animal within Jasper National Park being one of the options considered when it is no longer possible to safely manage a bear in its home range.