Alberta grizzly bear killings spike to record high under provincial wildlife program

Alberta killed 13 grizzly bears through the Wildlife Management Responder Network in 2024—more than any other year on record—with 11 of those deaths occurring within the final 3.5 months of the year.

The province introduced the Wildlife Management Responder Network in June 2024, allowing qualified Albertan hunters who applied and were selected to authorize case-by-case killings when the province deems it appropriate. Livestock predation has been the leading reason for the lethal removals. Responders are permitted to keep bear meat, hides and all parts except the gallbladder.

Since the program's inception, 14 grizzly bears total have been killed by authorized hunters, with 1 additional death occurring in 2025. All deaths through the program occurred outside designated recovery areas.

The Ministry of Forestry and Parks said in a statement that its "approach to wildlife management is guided by science and expert advice, with a focus on maintaining public safety, reducing conflicts, and continuing to recover grizzly bear populations." The province further stated that "grizzly bears are managed, first and foremost, with a recovery objective in Alberta, as outlined in the Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan."

The province notes that the removals are not considered a hunt because authorizations are case-by-case rather than tag-based, distinct from the hunting ban in place since 2006, except for Indigenous subsistence or cultural harvesting.

According to the Alberta government, the grizzly bear population has increased from approximately 700 in 2010 to about 1,000 today. The average lethal removal rate from 2021 to 2025 was 11 bears per year. Human-caused bear mortality in 2026 is the second lowest in Alberta since 2010.

Grizzly bears were designated a threatened species by the government of Alberta in 2010.