Grizzly bear attack in Canada’s Banff National Park leaves two dead

FILE PHOTO: A snow-covered road leads up a hill at dusk in Banff National Park near Lake Louise, Alberta on December 2, 2011. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo

TORONTO — Two people were found dead in a grizzly bear attack in Alberta’s Banff National Park, Parks Canada said in a statement.

Parks Canada in a statement Saturday night said it had received an alert late Friday from a GPS device indicating a bear attack originating from within Banff National Park, in the Red Deer River Valley west of Ya Ha Tinda Ranch.

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Weather conditions at the time did not allow for helicopter use, leading the response team to travel by ground through the night to the location, it said.

The response team arrived on-site where they discovered two deceased individuals. The team later euthanized the bear after it displayed aggressive behavior, the agency said.

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An area closure around Red Deer and Panther valleys has been implemented and will remain in place until further notice, Parks Canada said.

Banff National Park, which attracts more than 4 million tourists every year, is home to both grizzly and black bears.

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