A black bear that had been repeatedly rummaging through garbage bins near Calgary was captured and euthanized by the Alberta government. The Department of Public Safety and Emergency Services (PSES) stated that Fish and Wildlife Enforcement officers had been responding to reports of the bear accessing residential garbage and human food sources in Diamond Valley throughout the summer of 2026. The bear was described as unafraid of people and, at times, even approaching individuals. Due to the bear’s high level of food conditioning and habituation to human presence, it was deemed a public safety threat and had to be put down.
Kim Titchener, the founder of Bear Safety and More, highlighted that bears are more likely to venture into urban areas in search of food before hibernation during this time of year. The extreme hunger during this period, known as hyperphagia, drives bears to seek easily accessible sources of food like garbage and fruit trees, even if it means risking proximity to humans for survival.
Notably, the Diamond Valley area is known for bear activity, as evidenced by recent incidents involving bears wandering into urban neighborhoods. To mitigate such encounters, residents in bear-prone areas are advised to secure garbage and compost properly, remove bird feeders while bears are active, and keep barbecue areas free of food residue to discourage bear visitation.
Decisions regarding the management of problem bears, whether through relocation or euthanization, are guided by the province’s black bear response guide, considering factors such as the bear’s age, presence of cubs, and problematic behaviors like habituation to humans or predatory activities. Black bears are prevalent in approximately 75% of Alberta’s forested regions and are not considered at-risk species across Canada, unlike grizzly bears, which are classified as threatened in Alberta.