Grizzly bear attack kills 2 in Canadian national park

Oct. 2 (UPI) -- A grizzly bear attacked and killed a couple at Banff National Park in Canada, leading to authorities killing the bear while investigating the incident.

Park Canada said it quickly mobilized a team after receiving an alert indicating a possible bear attack at about 8 p.m. local time Friday in Red Deer River Valley, west of Ya Ha Tinda Ranch. Officials said the weather did not allow them to take a helicopter in their search, so they arrived on foot at about 1 a.m., Banff National Park said.

"[The response team] discovered two deceased individuals," the park said as they arrived at the site the couple's camp. "While in the area, the response team encountered a grizzly bear that displayed aggressive behavior, leading Parks Canada staff to euthanize the bear on-site to ensure public safety."

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrived on the scene at 5 a.m. and helped transport the victims to Sundre, Alberta.

Grizzly and black bears occupy Banff National Park. Earlier this year, a grizzly bear mauled a woman on a forest trail near Yellowstone National Park. Another bear was killed after breaking into a house near West Yellowstone.

Kim Titchener, the founder of Bear Safety and More, told CBC News that it was "highly unusual" for a bear involved in an attack to be still near the scene if the attack was defensive in nature.

"Usually, the attack occurs and then the bear leaves the area," she said. "So that of course is concerning and I'm not sure what was going on there, but of course those details will come out as they do the investigation."