Rare but serious: Sask.’s bear attacks remain a mystery

By: Joshua Potter

Last week, a couple was found dead in Northern Saskatchewan, victims of an apparent bear attack near McTavish Lake. They’ve been identified as Jay and Deb MacDonald from Regina.

And just in May, a 27-year-old man was killed at a remote work site northeast of Points North Land.

Before this year, the province had recorded three known black bear fatalities in its history. In 2026 alone, three deaths have been reported.

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Dr. Douglas A. Clark is a professor at the University of Saskatchewan’s School of Environment and Sustainability, is part of the Human-Wildlife Interactions Research Group, and is the world-leading scientific authority on polar bear-human conflicts.

Speaking on the Evan Bray Show Monday morning, he said the number of incidents this year is unheard of.

“The two incidents in one year, that’s the kind of thing that you just have to start thinking about, because that is very unusual,” Clark said.

He noted the three attacks are not part of a broader national trend.

“It’s not a theme elsewhere in the country, and this is what at the moment is making this so unusual,” he said.

What happened

While the circumstances surrounding each attack are still being investigated, Clark said the known Saskatchewan cases share similarities with other examples.

“These incidents have all been consistent with a rare but serious behaviour that black bears sometimes exhibit towards people, which is predatory behaviour,” he explained.

Clark said this type of encounter is very different from the more common situations people think of when it comes to bears. And he stressed these attacks are rare.

“Far and away, the majority of black bear-human interactions, when people and bears meet, it ends peacefully and uneventfully,” he said.

Clark said researchers are still trying to determine whether environmental conditions or other factors may have played a role in this year’s incidents.

He noted there are some possible connections, but the evidence is limited because fatal bear attacks aren’t common.

“There are some interesting consistencies, and that’s probably the only word I can use with some of the previous events,” he said.

One possibility researchers are considering, he said, is whether environmental stress combined with individual bear behaviour could be contributing to these situations.

Clark said bears “do have different personalities,” like many animals.

He said a combination of factors may be needed in order for these animals to become uncontrollable.

“If a bear has some kind of predisposing situation and you combine that with some kind of environmental stress, then you might get the situations that lead to things like this,” Clark explained.

Investigating

Following a fatal attack, Clark said researchers’ work doesn’t end when the scene has been cleared.

“What they’ll be looking for first off would be to ensure they have, in fact, got the right bear and they’ll be looking for any kind of information they can get about what may have transpired,” he explained.

Clark said examining the bear can help investigators understand factors such as its physical condition and whether there are clues that could explain the behaviour.

For people travelling in remote areas, especially in northern Saskatchewan, he said preparation is key.

“Do some homework about animal activity, particularly bear activity, if you can, in the area you’re going to be going into, and carry deterrents,” Clark said.

“Bear spray is very effective on all three species of bears in North America. I use it. My family carries it when we’re out at our cabin or hiking or travelling around in the province.”

Clark said there are still many unanswered questions surrounding Saskatchewan’s recent fatal encounters, but learning from each incident is important.