Alberta authorities are currently probing a series of incidents where poachers have unlawfully killed grizzly bears. According to reports from the province to CBC News, the Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services are looking into the illegal slayings of four grizzly bears at three different locations.
The first incident involved the discovery of a deceased grizzly bear on September 30, along a road approximately 20 kilometers north of Swan Hills, situated northwest of Edmonton. The following day on October 1, another grizzly bear was found lifeless in a secluded area between Little Smoky and Fox Creek, with all four of its paws missing.
This string of killings follows earlier cases where two grizzly bears were shot and found dead in June near Sundre, which is about 95 kilometers northwest of Calgary. Additionally, in March of this year, the authorities had reached out to the public for help in a poaching investigation after a grizzly bear was found dead from a gunshot wound in November 2025.
Hunting grizzly bears in Alberta has been prohibited since 2006, except for Indigenous hunters who are allowed to harvest for subsistence or cultural purposes. The province is urging individuals with any information on these poaching incidents or other suspected wildlife violations to report them through the Report-A-Poacher line or online at alberta.ca/report-poacher. Informants providing details leading to charges may be eligible for a cash reward under the Report-A-Poacher program.
Gordon Stenhouse, a prominent biologist involved in grizzly bear population research in Alberta, expressed disappointment at the callous act of shooting and abandoning these magnificent creatures. Stenhouse highlighted the disregard and disrespect for wildlife showcased by such actions, especially given the threatened status of grizzly bears.
Stenhouse also noted that the reported cases of poached bears are likely just a fraction of the actual incidents occurring. He emphasized that there are probably numerous cases that go undetected or unreported, indicating a more significant issue at hand.
The Alberta government keeps a record of human-caused grizzly bear mortality, with 28 documented cases of illegal killings between 2020 and 2025, accounting for about 17% of grizzly bear deaths during that period. Other significant causes of grizzly bear mortality include killings by the province and fatalities due to vehicle collisions. Grizzly bears have been classified as a threatened species in Alberta since 2010.
Mark Boyce, an ecology professor at the University of Alberta, shared his perspective on poaching, stating that while it is not a major concern for grizzly bear conservation, the recent incidents are regrettable. Boyce highlighted the existence of a black market for grizzly bear paws, emphasizing the illegality of such actions.
Kim Titchener, the founder of Bear Safety and More, viewed poaching as a symptom of the broader conflict between humans and bears trying to coexist in shared landscapes. Titchener advocated for prioritizing resources like electric fencing, guard dogs, and bear-resistant containers to mitigate conflicts rather than resorting to the killing of grizzly bears.
The Alberta government’s initiatives to invest in deterring large carnivores from rural properties and promoting BearSmart programs across the province aim to reduce human-wildlife conflicts and minimize grizzly bear deaths. While the province estimates a current grizzly bear population of about 1,000 in Alberta, there hasn’t been a comprehensive provincial grizzly bear population study since 2018.