Obviously it would never be ideal to come face to face with a grizzly bear.
These predators can pack up to 600 lbs of power in one swipe of their paw, and often stand between 7-10 feet tall.
So yeah, if you find yourself up against one in the wild, good luck.
But one grizzly bear in Canada may just be the baddest of them all.
Officially known as Bear 122, the Boss got his nickname for his absolute dominance in his neck of the woods around Banff National Park in Banff, Alberta.
Meet The Boss.
Canmore-based nature photographer Jason Leo Bantle recently came across The Boss — the toughest grizzly bear in the Bow Valley region: pic.twitter.com/E9CRzeO5JA
— Calgary Herald (@calgaryherald) November 15, 2022
Estimated to be around 20 years old and weighing in between 650-700 lbs, the Boss has earned his reputation as one of the toughest and baddest bears in Banff.
Back in 2013, Banff’s Sundance Canyon trail had to be shut down after the Boss was spotted eating a carcass near the popular hiking area. And that carcass? Well, it turned out to be a black bear.
And it’s not just other bears that fail to strike fear into the Boss. He once survived being hit by a train. But tracking data shows that the bear was undeterred and still continues to use the railways in the area for travel and foraging. In fact, he also frequently crosses the heavily-trafficked highways in the area, not bothered by the high-speed traffic.
I see why they call him The Boss.
As if that wasn’t enough, it’s also estimated that this particular bear has fathered up to 70% of the grizzly bear cubs in the national park, and tracking data shows that he has a “home area” that’s around 1,000 square miles.
Yet despite his reputation as one of the top – and toughest – predators in the area, the bear has reportedly grown surprisingly used to humans, and has never shown any aggression towards them during his travels.
Still, this is one bear that I’d rather see from a (very long) distance.
This bear’s name is ‘The Boss’ and he completely dominates Banff national park. He once survived getting hit by a train, and he has killed and eaten many black bears. They also say he has fathered over 70% of the cubs in his region. An absolute menace. pic.twitter.com/pGfPwqtD4N
— Prank Stallone (@theCJS) November 14, 2022
This article by Aaron Ryan was first published by Whiskey Riff on 15 January 2023.
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