Americas

Couple killed in grizzly bear attack in Canada's Banff National Park

By Nivedita Balu
October 1, 2023 7:54 PM EDT • Updated 6 hours ago

TORONTO, Oct 1 (Reuters) - A grizzly bear attacked and killed two people and their dog in Alberta's Banff National Park, according to Canadian park officials and a friend of the victims.

Parks Canada said in a statement on Saturday night it had received an alert late Friday from a GPS device indicating a bear attack in the Red Deer River Valley west of Ya Ha Tinda Ranch in Banff National Park. ... The bear was later euthanized after it displayed aggressive behavior, the agency said.

The victims were a Canadian couple and their dog, according to Kim Titchener, the founder of Bear Safety and More and also a friend of the family. ... Titchener, who provides training on bear safety and bear assessments, said such encounters are increasing as more people head outdoors but fatal attacks are extremely rare.

"It's really just the reason why we're seeing more attacks, which is more people heading outdoors and unfortunately not being educated on this," she said by telephone, adding that only 14% of grizzly bear attacks worldwide lead to fatalities.

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