By Dean Weingarten | Contributing Writer
Editor’s Note: This is the first of a two-part feature examining bear attacks against humans. It discusses both black and grizzly bear confrontations. Part II will appear later this month.
So far, 2026 has been a busy year for bear attacks in North America, and the year isn’t over, either.
Bears, both black and grizzly, are not denned up yet for the winter, and more encounters, especially during the fall hunting seasons, are entirely possible.
Media coverage of bear attacks has been increasing for decades as bear populations, once heavily hunted, are now strenuously protected. Bear populations have increased tremendously. Other factors include increasing human populations and a greater use of the outdoors by non-hunters for recreation.
From April 13 through Aug. 20, my research shows there were 17-20 incidents of conflicts between bears and people. In these incidents, people had serious concerns for their safety from aggressive bears.
Five people were killed by bears, and four of the attacks, including three fatalities, appear to have been predatory. Four incidents of black bear attacks in the Canadian Vancouver Metro Area were reported to Conservation officers, but only one, an attack on a three-year-old girl by a black bear, was detailed in separate reporting. The other three incidents which were reported in the Vancouver Metro Area do not appear in separate news articles.
Here are the incidents reported by Aug. 20:
13 April, 2026 – A man was walking his two dogs on his farm when he was attacked by a grizzly bear in Vanderhoof, BC, Canada. He escaped by crawling under a barbed wire fence. He was taken to a hospital.
16 April, 2026 – Juneau, Alaska – Two soldiers on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson were seriously injured by a brown bear. Both are reported to have used bear spray.
22 April, 2026 and a bit earlier – Great Smoky National Park, Ramsey Cascades Trail, Abrams Fall Trail – Hikers were chased, one was bitten.
3 May, 2026, in Glacier National Park, Anthony Pollio was killed by a male grizzly bear on the Mount Brown Lookout Trail, shortly after sunset. An empty can of bear spray was found on the scene. The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee released a report confirming Pollio emptied the bear spray canister.
4 May, 2026 – Yellowstone Park – Two hikers were seriously injured by one or more bears on the Mystic Falls trail near Old Faithful.
8 May, 2026 – Saskatchewan – Hrishikesh Koloth was killed by a black bear at a uranium exploration camp near Norby Lake. This may have been a predator attack.
16 May, 2026 – Cave Falls Road near Ashton, Idaho – Hunter killed a charging grizzly in defense of himself and his young son. He first used a pistol, then switched to a rifle, with the bear killed withing 5 yards of where he was standing.
26 May, 2026 – Squamish, B.C. Canada – A man was jogging alone when he came across bear cubs. The sow charged him and swiped his arm and leg.
4 June, 2026 – Catskill, New York – A 70-year-old woman was attacked while working in her yard. She fears the bear may be sick or injured.
9 June, 2026 – Near Yosemite Park in California –A couple fought a black bear near their Mammoth lake home. The man used the blunt end of a hatchet to fight the bear. Prior to the hatchet, the woman used a water bottle. The man with the hatchet ended the fight.
15 June, 2026 – Crestline, Callifornia – A black bear mauled an autistic teenage boy while he was sleeping.
16 June, 2026 – Dome Trail near Anchorage, AK – A man on a bike sees a bear, stops, gets off the bike, starts talking to the bear. The bear charges, comes in contact with the cyclist, causing injuries, and leaves. The man self-evacuated, then was taken to a hospital. Bear spray carried, man says he did not have time to use it.
21 June, 2026 – Skilak Lake, Alaska – Lori Price defends herself and her dogs with a Glock 43 against a black bear. She shoots the bear from close range several times, and the bear runs off. She attributes her success to training and practice.
22 June, 2026 – Apex Park, Jefferson County, Colorado – A black bear followed a hiker for 30 minutes, grabbed her pack and touched her leg. The bear was acting in a predatory fashion.
July, 2026 – Fremont County, Idaho – Jogger, with dog, attacked by bear in a state park. The dog was not injured.
July 5, 2026 – Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming – Two women campers, identified as Shonna K. Dehl and Maggie Bassett, had to drive a black bear away from their camp with gunfire. The bear destroyed the camp and their two tents. The bear was killed later by authorities after another incident at another camp.
15 July, 2026 – McTavish Lake, near La Ronge, Saskatchewan – A couple in their 70’s were killed in what appears to have been a predatory attack by a black bear near their fly-in cabin.
17 July, 2026 – Jasper National Park, Canada – A grizzly bear was encountered at a close distance, one of two hikers was injured. The hikers used bear spray. The hiker suffered minor bite wounds.
21 July, 2026 – Chugach State Park, AK, Woman was hiking with friends and three dogs. A bear charged out of alders and injured the woman before leaving. She was treated and evacuated. Searchers used a drone and found a brown bear nearby.
24 July, 2026 – Man attacked by a bear in Henrys Lake State Park in Idaho while jogging with his dog. He was able to walk out and was treated at a hospital.
August, 2026 -British Columbia, Canada Metro Vancouver area – four black bear attacks were reported to conservation officers.
2 August, 2026 – South Chilcotin, British Columbia – A 72-year-old woman was seriously injured by a grizzly bear. She was hiking.
9 August, 2026 – Maple Ridge, British Columbia. A black bear attacked a 3-year-old girl. Her father drove off the bear, then shot it with a bow when it refused to leave the area near their home. This might be one of the Vancouver metro area attacks. The attack appears to have been predatory.
9 August, 2026 – On the same day, at Rutherford Creek, near Pemberton, B.C. , a man was attacked by a grizzly bear, but managed to escape with non-life-threatening injuries.
10 August, 2026 – Teton Pass, Wyoming – A woman was hiking with her dogs when she was attacked by a presumed black bear. She used bear spray, but was taken to a hospital for treatment.
12 August, 2026 – Cedar Crest New Mexico near Albuquerque – A bear bit a man while he was walking his dogs.
13 August, 2026 – Port Coquitlam, B.C. Vancoever metro – A man was bitten outside an apartment complex. Officers tracked down the bear and killed it.
14 August, 2026 – Duncan on Vancoever Island, Canada – A woman was hiking with dogs when she was attacked by a bear. She was hospitalized.
14 August, 2026 – Chugach State Park AK – A woman was trail running in the park when she was attacked by a bear. She used bear spray and was able to escape. She was transported to a hospital (found after update)
15 August, 2026 – Whatcom County, Washington – Black bear charged man and child, both taken to hospital with injuries.
18 August, 2026 – Eagle-Vail, Colorado – A sow black bear swiped a man’s arm at an apartment complex. Cubs were nearby.
18 August, 2026 – Red Lodge Montana – Adult black bear attempted to attack a person walking near Roosevelt Middle School in Red Lodge. A good Samaritan intervened with a vehicle and prevented the attack. The incident was predatory in nature.
20 August, 2026 – Window Rock, Navajo Nation, New Mexico – A black bear killed Benjamin Halona, 67, in his home. Officers shot the bear, tracked it and killed it. It appears to have been a predatory attack.
Home invasions by black bears are increasing nationwide. A paper published by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) showed bears invade more homes in states where they are not hunted.
Image of reported bear entries per 100 bears by DEEP
The record for known people killed by bears in North America is six in one year. By Aug. 20 of this year, there were five people killed in fatal bear attacks as reported above.
Editor’s Note: Weingarten is a veteran journalist who has spent considerable time researching and reporting on bear attacks in North America. His work has appeared for several years at Ammoland News.
