Alberta is lifting a nearly 20-year ban on hunting grizzly bears under specific conditions, according to Rocky Mountain Outlook. The forestry and parks ministry may issue hunting permits for grizzlies involved in human conflicts or posing safety risks, provided the bear isn’t with a cub. Devon Earl of the Alberta Wilderness Association expressed concerns over the decision, noting the lack of public consultation and the long effort it took to protect grizzlies as a threatened species.

The regulation change, made on June 17 under the provincial Wildlife Act, aims to address public safety following recent incidents involving grizzlies. However, conservationists worry about the impact on the grizzly population, which was listed as threatened in 2010 and numbered between 856 and 973 in a 2021 census.

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Photo: A grizzly bear feasts on buffaloberries along Smith Dorrien Trail in Spray Valley Provincial Park in Kananaskis Country in July 2021. RMO FILE PHOTO