Massive grizzly bear known as 'The Boss' spotted in Canmore area
CBC
Massive grizzly bear "The Boss" seemed to have lost his bearings earlier this week.
He was spotted by a local nature photographer in the Canmore area, much farther east than he's normally known to frequent.
The Boss, officially known as Bear No. 122, was seen Sunday where photographer and biologist Jason Leo Bantle lives in Harvie Heights, a hamlet just northwest of Canmore.
Parks Canada said The Boss is in his mid-20s, and the last time he was captured he weighed roughly 450 pounds (about 200 kilograms). The bear is regarded as possibly the largest in the Banff National Park area, his usual stomping grounds.
The grizzly has been through a lot over the years. He's eaten a rival black bear and even survived being struck by a train. He's missing a tuft of fur on his face and a chunk of his right ear, but he's still likely the most dominant bear in and around the national park.
Blair Fyten, human wildlife coexistence specialist with Banff National Park, said Parks Canada wardens had to "shepherd" the bear away from Banff on Nov. 1 as it was trying to get into town, likely to find a crabapple tree it fed on last year.
That weekend The Boss was seen in Harvie Heights. Bantle said he saw a social media post with a photo of The Boss walking in front of his home.
Late Sunday afternoon, The Boss made his way further east to Canmore, where local peace officers along with the RCMP monitored the bear as it went through the neighbourhood.
The Town of Canmore said the grizzly didn't appear aggressive and it wasn't accessing any wildlife attractants.
Eventually the bear travelled back west, where it once again passed through Harvie Heights, feasting for hours, according to Bantle.
He said he was able to capture a few photos of what he dubbed "the patriarch of the Bow Valley" in his neighbourhood after it made its way back from Canmore.
He said several residents in his community were able to carefully watch the bruin from the safety of their vehicles as The Boss wandered around the hamlet foraging for the bear necessities — berries and apples — in preparation for hibernation.
"I think everybody was just in awe of this scene and he didn't seem impacted by us. He was just doing his thing. And I think everyone just wanted to have an experience with a legend," Bantle said.
Reflecting on his experiences photographing The Boss and seeing his images after they've been processed, Bantle said he became emotional.
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