Relocation of black bears ordered by Banff National Park leadership against the advice of wildlife experts

According to documents obtained by CBC News, the superintendent of Banff National Park asked Parks Canada wildlife staff — over his objections — to relocate a black bear to a popular ski resort due to public safety concerns.

“The risk is too great for the thousands of people who use the trail,” Sal Rashid wrote in an Oct. 29, 2025, email to Dylan Spencer, resource conservation manager for the Banff Field Unit.

Two days later, the unit relocated a black bear habitat near the Goats Eye Gondola Station and an access road at Sunshine Village Ski Resort.

According to access to information documents, Rasheed had asked wildlife staff to move the bear out of the area, saying it was no different from relocating an animal to other “high human use locations”.

But wildlife staff felt “alternative management options exist that better protect the bears’ health and welfare” that would also keep the public safe and minimize the impact on the ski resort.

They recommended that the area near the den be immediately closed to the public and that vehicle traffic be limited to low speeds.

Eventually, they hoped to rearrange the access road away from the den.

management of optics

Sunshine Village staff reported a black bear to Parks Canada on October 27, approximately 250 meters below the Goats Eye Gondola station and 10 meters from the access road that serves as the main artery from the ski resort to its lifts.

The ski resort is set to open its first runs on November 2, with the road becoming the main exit for skiers at the end of the day. Spencer wrote in an email to wildlife staff that the Gondola can bring down about 2,800 people an hour, and on a busy day up to 6,000 people might need to descend if the hills are closed.

He wrote that if the road was closed, it was “almost certain to cause a significant public backlash.”

Parks Canada staff set up cameras and found that the bear had left its den three times, and Sunshine Village staff were honking their horns as they passed through the area.

The 13-page report presented five recommendations from wildlife staff. They included closing the entire area, closing the area with restrictions on vehicle and skier traffic, and sedating or relocating the bears.

The report said the approach of relocating the bears would be “particularly poor” and would see Parks Canada violating its federal mandate to maintain and restore the ecological integrity of national parks “at the behest of a private, for-profit business.”

Spencer wrote to wildlife staff that closing the entire area would be the “gold standard”. However, this would restrict road access and potentially disturb bears.

The bears would have to be euthanized or relocated “in as safe and humane a manner as possible”, and Spencer “did not take this decision lightly.”

‘Horrible example’

Wildlife staff pushed back several times over five days.

Parks Canada wildlife ecologist-veterinarian Brian McBeth said there is no precedent for a bear being hunted or actively taken in Banff National Park or anywhere else under the jurisdiction of Parks Canada.

In the email, he pointed to examples of previous closures to accommodate bears near Tunnel Mountain and at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort near Golden, B.C.

Steve Mitchell, Parks Canada’s national human-wildlife conflict and coexistence management officer, said in an Oct. 31 email on Macbeth’s behalf that taking the bear set a “terrible precedent.”

Attempts to influence senior field unit management failed.

And the movement of the bear gave a strong shock to the wildlife workers.

One said, “It was ultimately cruel and pretending otherwise doesn’t make it any easier,” and “It remains difficult to reconcile the moral weight of displacing a wild animal from its home.”

Helen Irwin, acting manager of integrated land use, policy and planning for Banff National Park, wrote to wildlife staff that it was “precedent-setting”, and that there were other options to protect both the bears and the public.

Despite the confrontation with wildlife staff, the Banff Field Unit’s public communications stated that “there is no viable alternative to safe and long-term field closure.”

Another message said that “after thorough review and consultation with experts in the field of wildlife management” Parks Canada decided to relocate the black bears as “the only viable option” for public safety and to minimize the impact on bears.

The bear was removed on October 31 and Sunshine Village staff closed the den with rocks.

a finale for west side of eagle mountainIn the Field of Sunshine, the park was created by Canada on December 5. It was for the same black bear that was blurred out and relocated.

The Banff Field Unit’s communications team did not respond to a request for updated information about the bear and an interview with Parks Canada wildlife staff. Attempts to reach Rashid did not elicit any response.

Experts divided on best approach

Gord Stenhouse, program lead at the Foothills Research Institute, wrote in an email to CBC News that it is not unusual for wildlife staff and management to have different views in an area with high human use.

He said black bears are “true hibernators.” than a grizzly bearWhich means they rarely wake up at once in their den.

“However, no one really knows at what level of human disturbance a black bear might wake up or come out of its den. Even if a bear does emerge, it will be very lethargic and will likely move away from the disturbance and try to reenter the den.”

He said each bear – like people – has its own personality and “their behavior can change.”

Martin Obhard, president of the International Association for Beer Research and Management, said he understood senior management’s caution. He said the risk to skiers is “very low, but it’s not zero.”

Since the bears are two or three years old, Obhard said they are unlikely to become aggressive, but removing them when they do would be better than waiting, as it would be more difficult for the bears to den later.

CBC News spoke to four additional wildlife experts. They asked not to be named because of past or current working relationships with Parks Canada.

Two said it should have been closed. The other two said it was acceptable to take the bear because of its proximity to a ski resort.

All four said it’s less than ideal conditions because of vehicle, skier and Gondola traffic.

John Clark, a former Alberta Fish and Wildlife officer who runs the Canadian Bear Protection Authority, said there are several factors to consider such as how many people pass through the area and the health of the bears.

“You have to listen to your experts in the area who probably know the bears and know the area and go by their opinion,” he said.

“The parks are all about wildlife. Their mandates and policies are protecting wildlife, but they still like people to come to their parks and enjoy what they have.”