The provincial government is supporting a research project on grizzly bear monitoring, although it does not align with the population count advocated by some. Alberta’s Environment Minister Grant Hunter’s office stated that the government is committed to aiding the sustainable recovery of grizzly bears through a project led by fRI Research. This initiative aims to gather scientific data on grizzly bear populations, habitat utilization, and ecology to inform future management decisions.
Since 2010, grizzly bears have been classified as a threatened species in Alberta. DarÃo Fernández-Bellon, heading the grizzly bear monitoring team at fRI Research, explained that the project, initiated in 2023, focuses on exploring innovative methods for monitoring specific west-central Alberta sub-populations. This endeavor intends to provide insights into the survival and potential expansion of grizzly populations in those regions.
Despite ongoing efforts, neither fRI Research nor the Alberta government are conducting a comprehensive count of the grizzly bear population in Alberta. Large-scale population surveys have not been repeated due to their high costs and resource-intensive nature, involving significant manpower and resources, particularly in remote areas.
The last provincial study on the grizzly bear population was conducted in 2018, and any estimates beyond that year are primarily based on anecdotal information. The Alberta government stated that the grizzly bear population has risen from around 700 in 2010 to approximately 1,000 currently. Monitoring grizzly bears is deemed laborious and expensive due to their extensive movements and elusive behavior.
To reduce costs, fRI Research and the Alberta government are collaborating on testing new, cost-effective monitoring methods. The aim is to develop efficient techniques for ongoing monitoring, ultimately eliminating the need for large-scale investments in the future.
According to Alberta’s Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan, each bear management area should ideally be surveyed every five years. However, some sub-populations have not been assessed for an extended period, like the Grande Cache grizzly bear population in west-central Alberta, last surveyed in 2008.
The province plans to provide a report on grizzly bear status to the Endangered Species Conservation Committee for future review, guiding the development of the next Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan. Wildlife advocate Maggie Spizzirri emphasized the importance of conducting a population count before making any management decisions related to grizzly bears, highlighting the necessity of basing decisions on accurate data rather than assumptions.