ENGO News Release: Too Much Backcountry Access Brings Death to 15 More Grizzlies in 2012

Latest numbers from the provincial government show that 15 more grizzlies died in Alberta last year, bringing to 195 the total number killed in the last decade (or almost 28 percent of the known population). This is far, far too many in a province where the latest official numbers show only 700 total bears province-wide (well below internationally-recognized thresholds for sustainable populations). The majority of grizzly deaths last year were likely due to the proliferation of roads, trails, pipelines and other forms of backcountry access. Province-wide the level of access to grizzlies’ backcountry habitat significantly exceeds the maximums established in the government’s 2008 Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan.