A grizzly bear that was involved in a number of run-ins with residents in southwest Calgary will be returned to the wild this weekend.
According to Alberta Fish and Wildlife, the bear will be released on Saturday in the Nordegg region.
Fish and Wildlife officers placed two traps in Griffith Woods Park after the bear was spotted roaming through the area last week. Late Thursday night, one of those traps was sprung.
Scott Allred and his wife woke up when the bear tried to fight its way out of the solid steel container. "The bear was shaking the trap and the trailer like crazy. It’s scary to hear a bear in that kind of a state, with the snorting and the breathing; it’s every bear movie you ever saw.”
Allred said the animal continued to thrash in the trap for a few hours until it finally tired itself out.
Trevor Miller, superintendent with Alberta Fish and Wildlife, said the bear was attracted by a fruit tree on Allred's property and that the incident is a reminder that parts of Calgary are still bear country.
"This is just a wake up call for everybody to let us know we are in bear country and everybody has to be diligent with best bear practices and being aware of their surroundings and taking precautions. There are areas not too far from here that have resident grizzly bears all the time."
Miller says officials will continue to monitor the area.
"We have another trap set up at the park, we have some trail cameras; we will do an assessment this afternoon and check our cameras and see if we find anything and we'll base our decision on that."
Allred says Alberta Fish and Wildlife officers did a great job. “[Fish and Wildlife] have been incredible. Since the time we contacted them, they’ve been on it. They have been really concerned with the situation and the bear. Kudos to them.”
The park remains closed to visitors and there is no word yet on when it will reopen.
