Bear Euthanized Following Bulldozing Accident

An unfortunate bear has been "unintentionally bulldozed" in its den by contractors working for an oil company.

The bear was asleep in its den near the Kearl Oil Sands project in northern Alberta, Canada, when equipment building a drill pad for oil company Imperial Oil broke through on December 6.

The machine "accidentally impacted a concealed bear den," Imperial Oil spokesperson Lisa Schmidt said in a statement obtained by CBC News. Alberta Fish and Wildlife subsequently euthanized the injured black bear.

Imperial Oil said the Kearl Oil Sands site—around 350 miles north of Edmonton—had been checked by a "third-party, Indigenous-owned company" for traces of wildlife, including dens and nests, before work began. No dens or other traces of bears were found in the area.

"We are very sorry this incident occurred. We continually work to ensure our business operates in a safe and environmentally responsible manner," Schmidt said.

Newsweek reached out to Imperial Oil for comment.

"On December 6, 2023 Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services (FWES) was called to assist when a black bear was found injured near the Imperial site by on-site staff," Pam Davidson, a spokesperson for Alberta Forestry and Parks, told Newsweek in a statement. "The injuries were found to be severe and the decision to humanely euthanize the injured black bear was taken."

Site construction has been paused, with more wildlife sweeps being performed to ensure no other bears or critters lurking nearby.

The bear was likely in the beginning of its hibernation, which is a period that bears and many other mammals enter over the winter months. Black bears usually start hibernating between late November and mid-December, emerging months later in March and April.

"They hibernate to conserve energy, give birth, etc," Andrew N. Tri, the Forest Wildlife and Populations Research Group project leader at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, told Newsweek. "They also have remarkable wound healing abilities in the den (likely because they are not putting so much energy into moving around of foraging, etc."

Before they enter hibernation, bears gorge themselves on food, gaining weight rapidly in preparation for months of fasting underground. Female bears will often give birth during the winter within the den. The sex of the injured bear has not yet been revealed.

Locals hope that this incident will urge Imperial Oil to take more care when it comes to the impact of its activities on the environment. Only a few months ago, it was revealed that Imperial Oil had not notified Indigenous communities that there had been an oil spill upstream of them for nearly a year.

"It's another example where these projects are having environmental consequences that aren't being caught," Phillip Meintzer, a conservation specialist with the Alberta Wilderness Association, told CBC News. "It highlights our concerns that adequate monitoring maybe is not taking place with these projects."

"If we're adding new mines, expanding mines, adding drilling sites, we need to make sure that expansion is regulated or monitored in such a way to minimize our impact on wildlife," he said, "whether it's a tailings seepage that impacts watersheds and aquatic ecosystems or neighboring Indigenous communities or, in this case, making sure that we're not missing a bear."

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Update 12/14/23, 11:14 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from an Alberta Forestry and Parks spokesperson.