Bear 122 was fitted with a new GPS collar in May, but Banff’s famously independent 700-pound patriarch decided he would rather roam without it.
Woopsies… Banff, Alberta’s legendary grizzly bear known as “The Boss” has presently removed his new tracking collar.
Parks Canada wildlife specialists captured Bear 122 in a culvert trap on May 13, making him one of three adult male grizzlies fitted with GPS collars as part of an ongoing monitoring project in the Rocky Mountain national parks.
But within one week, The Boss had already freed himself from the device. According to Parks Canada, successfully slipping out of a tracking collar is not unusual for a large male grizzly.
Dig deeper into the local report and the wildlife research helping protect grizzlies across the Canadian Rockies.
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The collars allow researchers to follow how grizzlies use the landscape, including how they respond to seasonal changes, human activity, roads, railways and the connections between habitat areas.
Parks Canada has not said whether wildlife specialists plan to recapture and collar him again. Considering who they are dealing with, we imagine The Boss may have a few opinions on that proposal.
The enormous patriarch is believed to weigh around 700 pounds and be between 25 and 30 years old. He has survived two train collisions and is believed to have fathered a significant share of the grizzly cubs roaming the Banff region.
His celebrity status may be fun, but The Boss remains an enormous wild animal. Parks Canada continues to urge visitors to keep their distance, remain inside their vehicles and avoid creating roadside “bear jams” that can place both people and wildlife in danger.
Dig out the detailed account from local townspeople and reporters right below!
See how The Boss slipped out of another tracking assignment.
Watch the local report from Banff.
The report explains why Parks Canada fitted Bear 122 with the GPS collar and how quickly the legendary grizzly managed to remove it.
Press play on INYIM Media’s look at Banff’s famously independent grizzly and his latest collar-free chapter.
Sources: CityNews and The Canadian Press provided the capture date, collar details and Parks Canada statement; Parks Canada provided background on GPS collar research and Bear 122’s movements.
