Alberta West News: What areas of the Prairies are seeing most grizzly expansion?

Grizzly Bear Prairie Expansion: Geographic Hotspots

Grizzly bears are expanding eastward from the Rocky Mountains onto Alberta prairies and beyond, with specific regions experiencing the most concentrated activity. The expansion is most pronounced in southwestern Alberta, with some notable movement in central and northern areas as well.

Southwestern Alberta: The Primary Expansion Zone

Twin Butte and Surrounding Areas

The Twin Butte region, located approximately 50 kilometers west of Pincher Creek, represents the epicenter of grizzly expansion onto Alberta prairies. Ranchers in this area have reported dramatic increases in grizzly presence over the past two decades, with bears now establishing semi-permanent residence rather than making brief forays. The area has experienced so many encounters that ranchers have fundamentally changed their practices—carrying firearms while checking fences and restricting children's outdoor activities.ctvnews+2

St. Mary and Milk River Drainages

Since 1998, the St. Mary River and Milk River watersheds have seen increased grizzly sightings. These river corridors, which flow eastward from the mountains toward the prairie, appear to serve as natural travel routes for bears expanding their range. A grizzly attack on a fisherman occurred along the St. Mary River near Cardston in August 2025, with the bear accompanied by two older cubs, indicating breeding populations are using these areas.canada+3

Cardston, Pincher Creek, and Del Bonita

The municipalities of Cardston and Pincher Creek, along with the border community of Del Bonita, form a geographic triangle where grizzly expansion is most concentrated. Evidence of dens has been documented as far east as Del Bonita and far east of Highway 2—the traditional eastern boundary of grizzly habitat. Between 2013 and 2019, deadstock management programs in the Cardston and Pincher Creek districts collected nearly 4,000 head of livestock carcasses from 86 producers to reduce bear attractants.producer+2

Bear Management Area 6 (BMA 6)

This southwestern Alberta zone, which encompasses Waterton Lakes National Park and surrounding areas, has the highest grizzly density in the province at 20.4 bears per 1,000 square kilometers in the Recovery Zone. Population estimates show 67 resident bears with a larger population of 172 grizzlies using the area, representing a 4% annual population increase since 2007. The McIntyre Ranch, spanning 54,000 acres, has also documented grizzly presence.watertonbiosphere+1

Central Alberta: Emerging Expansion Zones

Cochrane and Springbank Area

The Cochrane-Springbank region, just 40-50 kilometers west of Calgary, has become a notable area of grizzly activity. In October 2025, a hunter was mauled by a grizzly bear with cubs south of Cochrane in the Springbank area, highlighting how close grizzlies are now coming to major urban centers. Three grizzly cubs were subsequently found in the area and left to hibernate naturally.cbc+3

East of Highway 22 Corridor

In 2018, officials confirmed eight grizzly sightings in an area east of Highway 22—considered the fringe of traditional grizzly country—including locations north and south of Cochrane, east of Water Valley, and between Olds and Innisfail. The Mountain View BearSmart Society reported this was "really quite unusual" since most sightings typically occurred west of Highway 22.cbc

Didsbury and Water Valley

Grizzlies have been spotted as far east as near Didsbury (approximately 80 kilometers north of Calgary), where residents reported bears feeding on dandelions on acreages along Highway 582. Multiple bears were also confirmed east of Water Valley in the foothills region.cbc

Northern Alberta: Isolated Populations

Grande Prairie and Swan Hills

Northern Alberta hosts smaller, more isolated grizzly populations. The Swan Hills area contains approximately 23 bears, while the Grande Prairie region (Alberta North, north of Highway 43) has an estimated 71 bears. The Swan Hills population faces particular challenges due to habitat fragmentation from Highway 43, Highway 2, and the Athabasca River, which threaten connectivity with other populations. Areas near Goodfare and Rio Grande north of Grande Prairie have experienced grizzly encounters largely due to agricultural attractants such as deadstock piles.alberta+2

Cross-Border Movement: Montana Connection

Grizzly expansion is not limited to Alberta. Montana has documented similar eastward movement onto prairie habitats, with bears reaching record distances. In October 2023, a grizzly was photographed in the Upper Missouri River Breaks—the furthest east a grizzly had been seen in Montana in 100 years. Bears have been documented in areas including Conrad, Augusta, Ulm (north of Great Falls), the Pryor Mountains south of Billings, and the Shields River Valley. Montana's prairie grizzly population represents an "unintended consequence" of overall recovery programs, with residents in communities like Conrad and Augusta adapting to bears they never expected to encounter.cowboystatedaily+3

The grizzly population in southwestern Alberta is part of a larger Rocky Mountain subpopulation exceeding 1,000 bears that spans Alberta, British Columbia, and Montana, with over 50% of bears in BMA 6 also detected in southeastern British Columbia and northern Montana. This transboundary movement means prairie expansion is occurring simultaneously on both sides of the international border.earthisland+1

Key Geographic Pattern

The clearest pattern shows grizzlies moving eastward along a southwest-to-northeast axis from core mountain habitat. The most intense expansion occurs in the 20-30 kilometer zone east of the foothills, particularly in areas with adequate cover such as river valleys, coulees, and brushy terrain that provide travel corridors and denning sites. Bears are establishing presence far east of Highway 2 in southern Alberta—a significant geographic marker since Highway 2 runs roughly north-south through the province and traditionally marked the eastern limit of regular grizzly activity.open.alberta+2

Human-bear conflicts have risen accordingly, with approximately 90 bear-related complaints annually in southwestern Alberta alone—triple the number from just a few years prior. The expansion reflects both successful recovery programs since 2008 and possibly displacement from mountain habitats experiencing increased human activity, though researchers note that definitive population trend data is limited, with the most recent comprehensive surveys dating to 2013-2014.ctvnews+2

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Monday, November 3, 2025

What areas of the Prairies are seeing most grizzly expansion?