Scott Hayes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter | [email protected]
Parks Canada has ceased efforts to locate the black bear that was shot by a male tourist around the Overlander Trail on Aug. 6.
鈥淭he bear has not been spotted and the trail was re-opened as of this morning. It鈥檚 either succumbed to its injuries out of sight, or moved off and gotten better,鈥� read a Parks Canada statement emailed to the 51暗网 on Tuesday morning.
The assailant has been charged with several violations of the National Parks Act, most notably that he was carrying a firearm in Jasper National Park without a permit.
The incident took place approximately seven kilometres from the Sixth Bridge trailhead. The individual encountered the bear around 30 meters from him on the trail and first fired one warning shot.
鈥淗e then fired a second shot that impacted the bear, caused it to fall down a short embankment into a creek bed that was separating the two,鈥� explained resource conservation manager Dave Argument last week.
The clearly injured animal was able to leave under its own power and Parks team members have spent 鈥渃onsiderable time and effort鈥� trying to track it down by following the blood trail into the dense forest.
The difficult terrain forced the team to search in a team of four while a helicopter crew went out in the cool mornings to sweep the area with an infrared FLIR camera, looking for any kind of heat signature.
Parks Canada advisories state that the best ways to stay safe while in bear country include travelling in groups, making noise while in motion and staying alert and aware of your surroundings. Bear spray is the only approved deterrent.
