A black bear that attacked and killed a pet dog in Jasper National Park over the weekend has been destroyed, according to Parks Canada. The incident occurred when two visitors were walking along Wabasso Lake Trail with their two dogs running freely between them. The bear approached “within a very close proximity,” and one of the dogs initially chased it away. The bear then returned and attacked the second dog, which stood its ground and barked. The hiker fired bear spray at the attacker and struck the bear with the canister multiple times in the head, but it still did not release the dog and carried it into the woods.
David Argument, resource conservation manager for Jasper National Park, said the bear had been located and destroyed due to its behavior. While the Facebook post from Jasper National Park described the attack as predatory, given the assault on the dog and subsequent caching of the carcass, Argument said the incident was nuanced since the bear initially retreated from the encounter and reportedly scaled a tree at one point before changing its mind. “That’s one of the reasons that we’re so repetitive with that safety message — it’s really important for people to keep their dogs under physical control while they’re traveling in national parks,” he added.
Parks Canada has seen an increase in bear-related incidents in the past few years, particularly with animals frequenting Jasper townsite, although officials haven’t seen an increase in negative bear encounters in the park at large. To stay safe on trails, Parks Canada reminds visitors to be aware of their surroundings, travel in groups, make noise, carry bear spray, and know how to use it. Park visitors can report unusual bear behavior to Parks Canada dispatch.
While the temporarily closed trails have since reopened, Wabasso Lake Trail will remain closed for a few more days. “We dragged an attractive, stinky piece of road-killed wildlife to try to bring the bear into a fixed location,” Argument said. “Because we’ve now put that scent out on the landscape, we want to make sure people don’t run into any other negative encounters with bears that may be attracted to that scent until it’s had a chance to dissipate.”