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Two people and their dog were killed in a rare grizzly bear attack in Canada’s Banff National Park, and the bear was later killed by park rangers.

The couple have not yet been identified but “loved the outdoors and were inseparable,” a family member said in a statement.

“They lived in the outback and were two of the most careful people I knew. They knew bear protocol and followed it to the letter.

According to the family member of one of the deceased, the common-law couple checked in daily in the outback, including on Friday at 5 p.m. when they sent notice that they had arrived safely to camp in the Red Deer River Valley, an area of ​​steep cliffs and rugged terrain west of Ya Ha Tinda Ranch.

Later that night, park staff received a distress notification from a satellite device requesting help following a bear attack. A team specializing in dealing with wildlife attacks was immediately dispatched but was hampered by bad weather and was unable to use a helicopter.

The team traveled on foot through the night and arrived at the remote campsite around 1 a.m. Saturday morning, where they discovered the couple and their dog had died during an encounter with a grizzly bear.

The bear exhibited “aggressive behavior” and was killed by Parks Canada “to ensure public safety.” RCMP arrived hours later to transport the victims to Sundre, a town nearly 50 miles east of the attack.

“This is a tragic incident and Parks Canada wishes to express its sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims,” the agency said in a statement.

These are the first deaths in half a century within the boundaries of Banff National Park, although the area experienced a series of attacks in the summer of 1980 by “Whiskey Creek Black Grizzly Bear» – one of which was fatal.

Experts say bears usually leave the area after a “defensive” attack, including when it is triggered by humans. But when the Parks Canada team arrived, they found the bear still with the victims. Predatory attacks are extremely rare.

Biologists will perform an autopsy on the bear, then Parks Canada will conduct a forensic investigation on the site to determine what could have happened to the victims.

Kim Titchener, family friend of the victims and founder of Bear Safety and More, said that in the fall, bears enter a state known as “hyperphagia” and have an increased appetite before winter hibernation. The intensive feeding of bears, popularized by “Fat Bear Week”, is their last attempt to gain enough fat before winter.

“They try to eat as much as they can and are still very active in the fall. People sometimes think, “Oh, it’s cold outside, so we’re not going to encounter any bears.” But they are always at the bottom of the valleys and feed on vegetation. And you can definitely meet them.

Titchener said that while seasons can play a role in bear behavior, the “number” of people going outdoors is by far the biggest factor in increased human-bear encounters.

“There are only 60 grizzly bears in Banff and less than 1,000 in Alberta. It is an endangered species. People say we have too many bears. No, we have too many people,” Titchener said, adding that the majority of those heading into the backcountry don’t take bear safety classes.

“Half the time when people are attacked by carnivores, it’s because they’re doing something risky or they don’t have the right equipment. But sometimes, and I suspect this was the case, there is something tragic that happens in the wrong place at the wrong time. »