Couple Killed By Bear In Canada ‘Loved The Outdoors’

Family members have identified a couple slain in a bear attack in Canada’s Banff National Park as long-term partners who enjoyed the outdoors.

Doug Inglis and Jenny Gusse, 62 years of age, were slain by a grizzly bear while backcountry camping on Friday.

According to officials, the bear that attacked them was a mature female with minimal body fat for the time of year.

They added that two cans of bear spray were discovered at the site and that the couple’s food was appropriately hung.

Their nephew, Colin Inglis, identified the couple, who told the CBC that they were killed on the fifth day of a week-long backcountry excursion.

“They are a couple who adored the outdoors and each other. Mr. Inglis remarked that they were highly experienced in being in the backcountry, whether on strenuous excursions or whitewater canoeing in the North Country.

Doug and Jenny were high school sweethearts from Lethbridge, Alberta, a city about 250 kilometers (155 miles) south of Calgary, according to Mr. Inglis.

They were hiking in the backcountry with their dog, who was slain during the assault.

Family members have identified a couple slain in a bear attack in Canada’s Banff National Park as long-term partners who enjoyed the outdoors.

The couple gave daily updates about their journey in the backcountry, Mr Inglis said, using a GPS device called Garmin inReach.

On the day of the attack, the couple reported that they had not reached their intended camping location but had discovered an alternate location. In the evening, they sent out a second alert.

“The message said, ‘Bear attack bad,'” Mr. Inglis told the CBC.

Parks Canada reported receiving a similar alert from the couple at approximately 20:00 local time (02:00 GMT) on Friday.

The Wildlife Human Attack Response Team was promptly dispatched but could not travel by helicopter due to inclement weather.

The response team reached at approximately 01:00 local time, according to officials. They discovered the couple deceased at the scene and a grizzly bear “exhibiting aggressive behavior” nearby.

Parks Canada shot and killed the bear on-site “to ensure public safety.”

Officials reported on Tuesday that the couple was in a permitted area with no active bear warning.

An autopsy revealed that the bear was an elderly, non-lactating female estimated to be over 25 years old.

The condition of her dentition was poor, and the bear had less body fat than usual for this time of year.

“The incident happened in a remote wilderness location and there were no witnesses,” Parks Canada said in their update.

“We will never know the complete details of what caused the attack, so we will refrain from speculating. This incident is a calamity, and our deepest condolences go out to the victims’ families.”

According to officials, fatal bear assaults are extremely uncommon. Banff National Park has recorded three non-fatal “surprise” encounters with grizzly bears over the past decade.

Parks Canada says the couple’s demise is the first fatality caused by a grizzly bear in the park in decades.

However, it is the second in North America this year. In July, a grizzly bear mauled a woman to death on a forest trail west of Yellowstone National Park.

According to Reuters, only 14% of grizzly bear attacks are fatal, but human-bear encounters are on the rise as more people venture outdoors.

As a result of the assault in Banff National Park, officials have restricted access to the area surrounding Red Deer and Panther valleys.

SOURCE – (BBC)