In Alberta, the year 2024 witnessed a record number of human-caused grizzly bear fatalities, with 40 known deaths reported. This data, available from 2005 to 2025 on the provincial government’s website, highlights various causes such as poaching, vehicle collisions, and lethal removal by law enforcement.
Of the total deaths in 2024, 21 grizzlies were killed through “agency removals,” which include actions by Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services and conservation officers. This marked the highest number of deaths due to agency removals in any year and the first instance where over half of the total grizzly bear deaths were attributed to such actions.
The previous peak in known human-caused grizzly bear deaths was in 2016, with 29 fatalities primarily due to vehicle strikes. In 2023, the highest number of lethal removals by law enforcement occurred, with 12 out of 26 known grizzly deaths listed as agency removals.
Retired Fish and Wildlife officer John Clarke suggested that the 2024 surge could be linked to the updates made in the province’s grizzly bear response guide in 2023. These changes gave officers more discretion in decision-making regarding bear management, particularly lowering the threshold for male grizzlies to be euthanized.
Under the revised response framework, a male grizzly could be put down the first time it displays habituated or food-conditioned behaviors outside designated recovery areas. Additionally, if a bear is not in a recovery or support zone, it can be killed regardless of gender, except if it has cubs, in which case relocation is attempted initially.
The province emphasized that there is no uniform solution to human-grizzly conflicts, as various factors like local bear populations, food availability, environmental conditions, and human attractants contribute to such incidents. In 2025, the total grizzly bear deaths decreased to 18, with six of them being agency removals.
The Alberta government has faced calls to reinstate grizzly bear hunting, which was banned in 2006. In 2023, there were two human-related grizzly bear attacks and 92 involving livestock, while 2025 saw three human attacks and 80 livestock incidents. The government reported no human grizzly bear attacks in the current year but noted 57 livestock-related encounters.
The Rural Municipalities of Alberta have urged the government to legalize grizzly bear hunting to manage conflicts effectively. The province estimates a grizzly bear population of around 1,000 presently, with no recent official count since 2018.