Provincial authorities are currently investigating incidents where poachers have unlawfully killed grizzly bears in Alberta. The Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services are handling the cases of four grizzly bears killed at three different locations. One bear was discovered shot dead on September 30, approximately 20 kilometers north of Swan Hills, located northwest of Edmonton. The following day, on October 1, another grizzly was found deceased in a remote area between Little Smoky and Fox Creek, with all four paws removed from the body.
This development follows the discovery of two grizzly bears shot dead in June along a road near Sundre, about 95 kilometers northwest of Calgary. Additionally, in March of the current year, the province sought public assistance in a poaching investigation after a grizzly bear succumbed to a gunshot wound in November 2025.
The illegal killing of grizzly bears is being treated with utmost seriousness by the province, as stated in a communication to CBC News. The hunting of grizzly bears in Alberta has been prohibited since 2006, except for cases involving Indigenous hunters for subsistence or cultural purposes.
The province is urging individuals with information regarding these poaching incidents or any suspected wildlife violations to contact the Report-A-Poacher line or submit a report online at alberta.ca/report-poacher. Informants whose tips lead to charges being pressed may be eligible for a monetary reward through the Report-A-Poacher program.
Gordon Stenhouse, a prominent biologist involved in grizzly bear population research in Alberta, expressed disappointment at the trend of shooting grizzly bears and abandoning their bodies, citing it as a reflection of a wider disregard for wildlife. Stenhouse noted that the discovered instances of poached bears likely represent only a fraction of the actual occurrences, with many cases going undetected.
The Alberta government monitors human-caused grizzly bear mortality, revealing 28 documented instances of illegal killings from 2020 to 2025, accounting for approximately 17% of grizzly bear deaths during that period. Other leading causes of grizzly bear mortality include government-led culls and fatalities due to vehicle collisions. Grizzly bears have held a threatened species status in Alberta since 2010.
Mark Boyce, an ecology professor at the University of Alberta, mentioned that while poaching may not be a prominent issue in grizzly bear conservation, the recent incidents are regrettable. Boyce highlighted the existence of a black market for grizzly bear paws, emphasizing the illegality of both poaching and the trade in bear parts.
Kim Titchener, founder of Bear Safety and More, identified poaching as a symptom of the ongoing human-bear conflict in shared landscapes. She stressed the importance of prioritizing resources like electric fencing and bear-resistant containers to foster better co-existence with grizzly bears instead of resorting to lethal measures. The Alberta government’s initiatives, including investments in wildlife protection and supporting BearSmart programs, aim to reduce human-wildlife conflicts and minimize grizzly bear fatalities in the province.
The estimated grizzly bear population in Alberta stands at around 1,000, although a comprehensive provincial population study has not been conducted since 2018.
