Grizzly kills dog in Banff National Park

Several campgrounds and hiking trails in Banff National Park are closed after a grizzly bear killed a dog on a hike with its owner in the backcountry near Lake Louise.

Late Thursday afternoon, Leo Mitzel was out scrambling with his Jack Russell terrier, Bill, when an adult grizzly bear attacked the dog.

“Leo was approached at high speed” his wife, Katie Mitzel, told the Herald on Friday evening. “Bill was on a leash. She did not bark.”

Mitzel, who runs Skoki Lodge with her husband, said Leo is quite shaken by the attack.

“His little dog was killed in front of him. That’s traumatic,” she said. “He’s lived in this area his whole life. That’s never happened before.”

Brianna Burley, acting human-wildlife conflict specialist with Parks Canada, said it appears that the bear was only interested in the dog.

“It was definitely a close encounter,” she said. “It was abnormal.”

Officials immediately closed Merlin Meadows and Red Deer Lakes campgrounds, and asked guests at Skoki Lodge to stay off the trails Thursday night to prevent any further encounters.

Additional closures took effect in the area Friday.

They include the trails and campgrounds at Hidden Lake and Baker Lake, as well as two warden cabins and Skoki Lodge.

Charlie Locke, who holds the operating licence for Skoki Lodge, said they decided to shut down early due to the encounter.

“Safety is No. 1,” he said, noting the lodge was scheduled to close for the season on Sunday. “Parks Canada felt more comfortable asking us to close a couple of days early.”

Wildlife officials said dogs can provoke defensive behaviour in bears.

“We recommend that people think twice about hiking with their dogs,” said Burley, noting it can lead to a more dynamic situation if a dog barks at an agitated bear. “We’d rather err on the side of caution.”

Burley said they believe they spotted the bear from a helicopter Friday when they flew over the area where the attack took place.

“It’s not a bear we’ve dealt with before,” she said, noting it’s a healthy adult bear, though it’s unknown whether it’s a male or female.

Burley said there’s isn’t a plan to kill the bear.

Thursday’s incident is the first known grizzly attack within the boundaries of Banff National Park this year.

Last September, a six-yearold male grizzly bear was put down after it stalked a wellknown mountain guide and his client for about 300 metres and chased them up a tree on the way to Saddleback Pass, also near Lake Louise.