Alberta launches investigations into multiple grizzly bear poaching deaths with paws removed

Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services is examining four illegal grizzly bear killings that occurred at three separate locations in the province. A bear was shot dead on Sept. 30 about 20 km north of Swan Hills, and another was found on Oct. 1 in a remote area between Little Smoky and Fox Creek, both with all four paws removed. Earlier incidents this year include two bears shot near Sundre in June and a November 2025 killing that prompted a public appeal for information.

Hunting grizzlies has been prohibited since 2006, except for Indigenous subsistence harvests, and officials are asking anyone with leads to contact the Report-A-Poacher line, which may offer a cash reward. Biologist Gordon Stenhouse described the acts as “disrespect for wildlife,” while University of Alberta professor Mark Boyce highlighted a black market for bear paws. Bear-safety advocate Kim Titchener linked poaching to broader human-bear conflicts and called for preventative measures such as electric fencing.