Between 1990 and 2023 in Canada, there were 17 grizzly attacks resulting in 20 deaths. Nearly half of the fatalities happened in Alberta.
Alexandra Poirer, a researcher from Ontario’s Lakehead University, recently published a paper comparing grizzly and black bear attacks in Canada.
The report titled “A Comparison of Reports of Fatal Grizzly and Black Bear Attacks in Canada,” also documented 22 black bear attacks causing 24 deaths over the same 33-year period.
British Columbia (BC) led with eight black bear-caused fatalities followed by Ontario at six, and Alberta and Quebec at three apiece.
It’s a Tie
BC and Alberta are tied at 12 each in total deaths from grizzly and black bear attacks.
That’s not too surprising considering that they are the only two provinces with healthy grizzly populations, while the territories are sparsely populated reducing the odds of a negative grizzly encounter.
The study only documents bear attacks reported by the media so it likely doesn’t capture all attacks.
However, it’s safe to say that when someone is badly mauled or killed by a bear in Canada, the media reports it.
Some Good and Bad News
The good news, according to the data, is that the frequency of bear attacks has remained relatively constant since 1990.
The bad news is that the current decade is tracking in the wrong direction. Since 2020, there have already been four fatalities from grizzly attacks and three from black bear attacks.
It’s possible “that fatalities from grizzly and black bear attacks have increased during this current decade and may continue to be higher than past decades beyond 2023,” says Poirer in the study.
But this will remain to be seen.
Poirer also notes that the spike in fatalities happened during the “prime COVID-19 years” when more and more people were spending time in bear country jogging, hiking, wildlife viewing, foraging, and taking photos.
There are some other important takeaways from the study.
Beware of September
The month with the highest number of fatal grizzly attacks is September with six.
Poirer says this could be due to bears building up fat to sustain themselves during “seasonal torpor,” which typically starts in October.
Contrary to what most people think, bears don’t hibernate. Instead, they slip into a lighter sleep called torpor during which they burn less energy to survive winter when food is scarce.
For black bears, the months of June and September had the highest numbers of fatal attacks, at six each.
“In general, it can be concluded that September is the most predictable month for fatal bear attacks in Canada,” says Poirer.
Poirer’s data is valuable, but only if it’s put into practice. Now is the time to brush up on your bear safety as bears frantically prepare for hibernation.
