Grizzly That Killed Two in Banff National Park Was Old, Had Bad Teeth: Parks Canada

Grizzly That Killed Two in Banff National Park Was Old, Had Bad Teeth: Parks Canada
A grizzly bear is seen in the Khutzeymateen Inlet near Prince Rupert, B.C., on June, 22, 2018. (The Canadian Press/Jonathan Hayward)
The Canadian Press
10/3/2023
Updated:
10/3/2023
0:00

Parks Canada says a grizzly bear that killed a couple and their dog in Banff National Park on the weekend was old, underweight and had bad teeth.

Two people were attacked and killed by a bear in a remote wilderness area—the first recorded fatalities in Canada’s busiest national park in decades.

The federal agency has not responded to interview requests since the attack, but it issued another statement Tuesday.

It says a necropsy has been completed on the bear and it was determined to be a non-lactating female estimated to be more than 25 years old.

Parks says the bear was in fair body condition, but that her teeth were in poor condition and she had less than normal body fat for this time of year.

DNA samples from the bear confirm it was responsible for the attack.