A grizzly bear attacked and killed two people and their dog in Banff National Park, according to Canadian park officials.
Parks Canada said in a statement on Saturday night it had received an alert late Friday from a GPS device indicating a bear attack in the Red Deer River Valley west of Ya Ha Tinda Ranch in Banff National Park.
The bear was later euthanized after it displayed aggressive behavior, the agency said.
The victims were a Canadian couple and their dog, according to Kim Titchener, the founder of Bear Safety and More and also a friend of the family.
Titchener, who provides training on bear safety and bear assessments, said such encounters are increasing as more people head outdoors but fatal attacks are extremely rare.
“It’s really just the reason why we’re seeing more attacks, which is more people heading outdoors and unfortunately not being educated on this,” she said by telephone, adding that only 14% of grizzly bear attacks worldwide lead to fatalities.
Bear sightings increase during autumn as they become more active searching for food ahead of hibernating in the cold winter months.
Banff National Park, which attracts more than four million tourists every year, is home to both grizzly and black bears.
