Grizzly Bear

Grizzly bear populations are increasingly at risk from habit loss and increased human activity.

Grizzly bears are magnificent creatures. These impressive bears weigh an average of 500 kg, are fast runners, and powerful diggers. Grizzly bear fur ranges from black to brown to cinnamon to silver-haired. You can tell grizzlies from black bears by their defining trait: a massive shoulder hump. Grizzles act as umbrella species within their ecosystem. Declining populations act as a warning beacon of Alberta’s disappearing wilderness.

An estimated 600 grizzly bears roamed throughout Alberta two hundred years ago. Today, the estimated population is 760 bears fragmented into small population units of less than 100 bears. Alberta’s population today is primarily located in the Rocky Mountains and foothills. Less than 2% of the critical foothills region is protected from industrial development

These bears are dying at unsustainable rates, with over 90% of deaths caused by humans. In 2008 alone, Provincial data identified 19 human-caused deaths and 15 relocations. Almost all human-caused deaths occur within 500m of a road.

The threat

• Loss of habitat from extensive petroleum and forestry development
• Increased human access to and activity in their habitat
• Increasing rates of human-caused mortality

Solution

B.E.A.R.S Essentials:

• Budget dedicated for recovery
• Endangered species legislation listing as ‘Threatened’
• Action on habitat
• Reduce conflict and human-caused mortalities
• Science-based recovery team

What CPAWS is doing

CPAWS advocates for the protection of grizzly bear habitat and holds government accountable for implementing strategies for species recovery

Recent activities

• Participating in Yellowstone to Yukon’s Alberta Grizzly Bear Recovery Campaign

Resources

CPAWS Southern Alberta

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