Two hikers are facing charges after their off-leash dog repeatedly ran toward and barked at a grizzly bear during an encounter in Banff National Park.
The incident unfolded on the Taylor Lake trail, about nine miles south-east of Lake Louise, as Washington residents Brook and Kraig Koski backed away from Bear 142, a well-known female grizzly in the park.
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According to reports, Kraig initially encountered the bear while jogging ahead of his wife on the trail. Brook recorded the roughly 90-second video as the bear slowly followed Kraig, who walked backward while facing it and carrying bear spray.
Meanwhile, their small dog, Lola, ran freely between the hikers and the grizzly, at times barking at the bear.
“Back off!” Kraig can be heard yelling.
“You’re too close!” Brook says from behind the camera.
The hikers also repeatedly call for Lola, but at no point in the video do they appear to leash the dog or simply pick her up — despite having ample opportunity to do so.
It’s one of the most frustrating videos you’ll ever watch.
Eventually, Bear 142 leaves the trail and disappears into the woods. The encounter fortunately ended without anyone being injured, but Parks Canada wardens were able to identify the hikers after the video was posted online and racked up millions of views.
WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER STAYS ICE-COLD AS MASSIVE BROWN BEAR WALKS RIGHT UP TO HIS CAMERA
The pair now face regulatory charges under the Canada National Parks Act for having an off-leash dog in a national park. Pets are required to be secured on a leash no longer than three meters, and the hikers could face fines of up to $25,000 if convicted.
“Failure to keep your pets leashed in the national parks poses risks to pets and wildlife,” Parks Canada spokesperson James Eastham said in a statement. “Bears and other wildlife may react aggressively toward dogs they view as threats, resulting in their injury or death.”
Nick de Ruyter, program director of WildSmart for the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley, praised Parks Canada for filing charges because “there was so much time in the video to grab the dog and put it on a leash.”
“The safety of them, their pets and other people is far more important than getting that video,” he said.
Exactly.
As someone who hikes with my dog all the time, this is the kind of behavior that makes responsible dog owners want to pull their hair out.
Keeping a dog leashed in bear country is not an arbitrary rule designed to ruin anyone’s fun. It protects the dog, the wildlife and every other hiker who may encounter an already-agitated animal farther down the trail.
Instead, Lola was allowed to run around barking at a grizzly while her owners repeatedly yelled her name and continued filming.
This is how dogs get banned from trails. It’s how responsible owners who follow the rules end up losing access.
“Off-leash dogs can also cause wildlife stress, leading to them avoiding important habitats and sources of food,” Eastham said. “Always keep your pets on leash when visiting national parks.”
Bear 142 is estimated to be approximately 16 years old and is the daughter of Bear 122, better known as “The Boss.” She has raised several cubs in Banff National Park and lost one earlier this year after it was struck and killed by a train.
Grizzly bears are considered a threatened species in Alberta.
In this case, the hikers were fortunate. The dog was fortunate. And Bear 142 was fortunate that an entirely avoidable encounter did not end much worse.
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