The Alberta government has reported a significant increase in the number of grizzly bears hunted by authorized hunters in recent months. According to the Alberta Wildlife Management Responder Network, 13 grizzly bears have been killed this year, with 11 of them being hunted within the last three-and-a-half months due to livestock predation. Since the program began in June 2024, a total of 14 grizzly bears have been hunted by selected Alberta hunters.

The province’s “problem wildlife” responders, comprised of qualified local hunters, are called upon by the province when deemed necessary to address situations involving grizzly bears. The Alberta Ministry of Forestry and Parks emphasized that their approach to wildlife management is science-driven, focusing on public safety, conflict reduction, and grizzly bear population recovery.

Grizzly bears were labeled a threatened species by the Alberta government in 2010, and their management adheres to provincial guidelines, considering factors such as attacks on livestock, pets, or humans. Despite the ban on grizzly hunting in Alberta since 2006, exceptions exist for Indigenous hunters for cultural or subsistence purposes. The province clarified that the grizzly removal via the Wildlife Management Responder Network is not categorized as hunting, as authorizations are granted case-by-case rather than through tags.

While the number of grizzly bears hunted through the wildlife responder program has increased, the overall human-caused bear mortality in 2026 is lower than usual. The province highlighted that the management strategies are working towards achieving recovery objectives and managing grizzly bears where conflicts are more prevalent, particularly in areas of overlap between agricultural activity and grizzly habitat.

The majority of grizzly bear killings through the program have occurred in southwestern Alberta, known for having a high grizzly bear population density. Wildlife biologist Andrea Morehouse noted that the area’s bear population is part of a larger international population extending into British Columbia and Montana. Effective wildlife coexistence measures are crucial, especially in areas where grizzly bear ranges intersect with human-populated regions like ranches and livestock operations.

Various solutions, including coexistence programs, conflict mitigation initiatives, and population monitoring, are necessary to manage the challenges posed by grizzly bears effectively. The provincial government has allocated funds to implement measures to keep large carnivores away from rural properties in southwestern Alberta. While estimating around 1,000 grizzlies in Alberta currently, there hasn’t been a provincial grizzly bear population study since 2018.