Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services is requesting public assistance following the discovery of a deceased grizzly bear with a gunshot wound last autumn, as per an announcement made on social media on Friday.
Last November 25, a hunter reported the bear carcass near Honey Coulee, a public trail area located approximately 110 kilometers south of Calgary. Officials determined that the grizzly bear had been shot sometime earlier, potentially between November 8 and 20, according to Fish and Wildlife.
Grizzly bear hunting in Alberta has been prohibited since 2006, with the species considered threatened by the provincial government. An official from Fish and Wildlife stated that illegal hunting activities like poaching not only harm Alberta’s ecosystems but also impact law-abiding hunters. Such activities undermine conservation efforts and jeopardize wildlife population management, resulting in more stringent regulations that affect lawful hunters.
The Report A Poacher program in the province offers the possibility of a cash reward for individuals who provide information leading to charges being filed.
Former Alberta Fish and Wildlife officer John Clarke emphasized the significance of an incident involving the shooting of a grizzly bear. Grizzly bears have low reproductive rates, further contributing to their vulnerable status. Clarke recounted three notable cases during his career where grizzly bears were unlawfully shot, highlighting the need for conservation efforts.
While black bear hunting is permitted in the area where the deceased grizzly bear was found in November, Clarke mentioned the possibility of mistaken identity due to the coinciding black bear hunting season. However, upon reviewing a photo of the bear shared by Alberta Fish and Wildlife, he affirmed that it was unmistakably a grizzly bear.
The investigation by Fish and Wildlife likely involves scouring the area for tracks, interviewing locals, and identifying hunters with black bear licenses in the vicinity. The bear may have been shot and wandered off before succumbing to its injuries, complicating the task of pinpointing the shooting location, Clarke added.
The provincial government monitors grizzly bear deaths in Alberta, with vehicle collisions reported as the primary cause from 2013 to 2022. During this period, there were 58 instances of illegal killing and six cases where a grizzly bear was mistaken for a black bear.
