Beloved Grouse Mountain grizzly bear 'Grinder' has passed away
A beloved Grouse Mountain grizzly bear has passed away.
On July 31, 2026, the resort shared the news that one of its two resident grizzly bears, Grinder, had been experiencing “rapid decline in mobility” in recent weeks.
A veterinary examination found that he had an incurable spinal condition that had permanently paralyzed his hind limbs, “leaving no realistic path to recovery or return to acceptable quality of life.”
“With Grinder’s welfare always the highest priority, the difficult decision was made to provide him with a peaceful and humane passing in the habitat he called home, surrounded by the team who cared for him since he was a cub,” reads the press release.
Ken Macquisten, the director and veterinarian for Grouse Mountain Wildlife Refuge, said that saying goodbye was “heartbreaking.”
“It is a decision that was made with the utmost care and consideration for the grizzly bear millions of people have come to know and love,” he said in a press release.
Grouse Mountain
“It has been a privilege for our team to care for Grinder over the past 25 years, and while we will miss him deeply, we take comfort in knowing his legacy will live on through his impact as an ambassador for wildlife conservation,” he added.
After Grinder was found as an orphaned cub in Invermere, B.C., he was then taken to Grouse Mountain in 2001, where he lived in a paddock not far from the resort’s chalet.
He and his companion, another rescued grizzly bear named Coola, “helped educate guests from around the world about grizzly bears and the importance of protecting wildlife.”
Not only could people spot the bears in their paddock in the summertime, but they also could be viewed online through the resort’s webcams.
Coola also arrived at Grouse Mountain in 2001. According to Grouse Mountain, she remains healthy and taken care of.
After Grinder died, Coola was given supervised access to him before they took him from the habitat, which Grouse Mountain said is “a practice widely used at many accredited zoological facilities to help animals recognize the loss of a companion.”