He got out of his car and followed the tracks back. Finally, he found a spot that had been dug out – apparently to serve as a large animal’s home for the night. He returned to his vehicle and began driving toward Lake Louise when something caught his eye. “I was, what was that?” he said. He spotted the snow glistening in the distance. “There was a bear digging under a log, dirt flying behind him. He just raised his head and I got two shots.” Jason Leo Bantle captured this photo of The Boss, suspected of digging for ground squirrels under logs and logs. (Jason Leo Bantle) Bantle identified bear No. 122, otherwise known as The Boss, because of its size and distinctive ears. The Boss is considered to be the most dominant grizzly bear found around Banff National Park. Weighing somewhere between 650 and 700 pounds (395-317 kg), the bear’s resume of dominance is legendary. It is thought to have a home range of over 2,500 square kilometers. He has been eaten by a black bear. He even escaped once when he was hit by a train, but he still uses the railroads for travel and foraging. Buddle decided he wasn’t going to get to Jasper in time, so he decided to sit in an area with his 960mm lens, hoping the Boss would arrive later. Sure enough, the huge bear walked through the meadow around sunset. “It was surreal,” said Bantle, who is based in the Bow Valley. “She is such a beautiful bear.” WATCHES | Jason Leo Bantle captures the boss as he trudges through the snow:
Photographer Jason Bantle captures footage of The Boss
Photographer Jason Bantle captured this video of the infamous Bear No. 122, also known as The Boss, to make his way through the snow.
A terrible animal
Carolyn Campbell, director of conservation for the Alberta Wilderness Association, said photos like those collected by Bantle remind Albertans of the need to preserve grizzly bear habitat. “What a privilege to be able to see pictures of such a wonderful grizzly bear. He’s just a great male bear with such a life story,” Campbell said. “It’s great that he was able to live so long and that we have professional photographers who can help us learn and love these bears around us.” Campbell said Albertans should respect habitats, keep a respectful distance and not be careless with food to reduce potential conflict with bears. “There is some indication in some areas of the province that bear populations are stable or increasing, but in other areas it is not at all clear,” he said. “The more people there are out there, that’s a potential for conflict, which is something we really want to avoid.” In 2020, Canmore photographer John E. Marriott captured a different side of The Boss. This time, he was locked in a battle with a rival, infamous male bear No. 136, nicknamed “Split Lip” for his deformed mouth. Split Lip has been caught eating other bears on several occasions. Their epic showdown was recorded by Marriott, who called it a “battle of the titans”. WATCHES | Photographer John E. Marriott caught a battle between The Boss and Split Lip:
A battle between Banff’s biggest, baddest bears
It’s a wildlife photographer’s dream to witness a showdown between two of Banff’s most notorious grizzlies (from a safe distance, of course!). Fighting for dominance is part of life for the largest grizzlies in the Canadian Rockies. “There will be conflict between the males,” said David Laskin, Parks Canada wildlife coexistence specialist in the Lake Louise, Yoho and Kootenay field unit. He said the dominant males’ huge ranges often overlap and this leads to fights like those between The Boss and Split Lip as they fight for territory. While fights leave fighting grizzlies bloodied and scarred, they tend not to cause serious, lasting injuries.
Being a boss
Dominant male grizzlies are distinguished by their access to prime foraging areas and priority mating opportunities. Boss, in particular, is no stranger to female bears in the Bow Valley. “We have some DNA results that show [The Boss] it has fed the majority of babies in our population in Bow Valley, Banff,” Laskin said. The boss is estimated to be over 20 years old, based on a dental exam from when he was last handled in 2013. Photographer Jason Bantle captured photos last week of the infamous bear No. 122, otherwise known as The Boss. Bantle uses long lenses for safety and makes sure they are close to his vehicle if he needs to make a quick exit. (Jason Leo Bantle) In the wild, the lifespan of a male grizzly is between 20 and 25 years. However, Laskin says several factors contribute to a bear’s lifespan, including the amount of resources available and stress-free foraging. This time of year is when the bears are at their largest because they have put on weight for the months before hibernation. Most female bears hibernate between October and mid-November, while larger males will continue to forage as long as food is available, perhaps even into January. Laskin said the recent snowfall and unseasonably cold days may have led more male grizzlies to seek out their dens. Even so, visitors to Banff in the winter are advised to watch out for bears. “No matter the time of year, when you’re in the park, all visitors should always expect to encounter wildlife, including bears,” Laskin said.
title: “The Boss One Of The Biggest Baddest Grizzly Bears In Banff Captured In New Photo Series " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-28” author: “William Keys”
He got out of his car and followed the tracks back. Finally, he found a spot that had been dug out – apparently to serve as a large animal’s home for the night. He returned to his vehicle and began driving toward Lake Louise when something caught his eye. “I was, what was that?” he said. He spotted the snow glistening in the distance. “There was a bear digging under a log, dirt flying behind him. He just raised his head and I got two shots.” Jason Leo Bantle captured this photo of The Boss, suspected of digging for ground squirrels under logs and logs. (Jason Leo Bantle) Bantle identified bear No. 122, otherwise known as The Boss, because of its size and distinctive ears. The Boss is considered to be the most dominant grizzly bear found around Banff National Park. Weighing somewhere between 650 and 700 pounds (295-317 kg), the bear’s resume of dominance is legendary. It is thought to have a home range of over 2,500 square kilometers. He has been eaten by a black bear. He even escaped once when he was hit by a train, but he still uses the railroads for travel and foraging. Buddle decided he wasn’t going to get to Jasper in time, so he decided to sit in an area with his 960mm lens, hoping the Boss would arrive later. Sure enough, the huge bear walked through the meadow around sunset. “It was surreal,” said Bantle, who is based in the Bow Valley. “She is such a beautiful bear.” WATCHES | Jason Leo Bantle captures the boss as he trudges through the snow:
Photographer Jason Bantle captures footage of The Boss
Photographer Jason Bantle captured this video of the infamous Bear No. 122, also known as The Boss, to make his way through the snow.
A terrible animal
Carolyn Campbell, director of conservation for the Alberta Wilderness Association, said photos like those collected by Bantle remind Albertans of the need to preserve grizzly bear habitat. “What a privilege to be able to see pictures of such a wonderful grizzly bear. He’s just a great male bear with such a life story,” Campbell said. “It’s great that he was able to live so long and that we have professional photographers who can help us learn and love these bears around us.” Campbell said Albertans should respect habitats, keep a respectful distance and not be careless with food to reduce potential conflict with bears. “There is some indication in some areas of the province that bear populations are stable or increasing, but in other areas it is not at all clear,” he said. “The more people there are out there, that’s a potential for conflict, which is something we really want to avoid.” In 2020, Canmore photographer John E. Marriott captured a different side of The Boss. This time, he was locked in a battle with a rival, infamous male bear No. 136, nicknamed “Split Lip” for his deformed mouth. Split Lip has been caught eating other bears on several occasions. Their epic showdown was recorded by Marriott, who called it a “battle of the titans”. WATCHES | Photographer John E. Marriott caught a battle between The Boss and Split Lip:
A battle between Banff’s biggest, baddest bears
It’s a wildlife photographer’s dream to witness a showdown between two of Banff’s most notorious grizzlies (from a safe distance, of course!). Fighting for dominance is part of life for the largest grizzlies in the Canadian Rockies. “There will be conflict between the males,” said David Laskin, Parks Canada wildlife coexistence specialist in the Lake Louise, Yoho and Kootenay field unit. He said the dominant males’ huge ranges often overlap and this leads to fights like those between The Boss and Split Lip as they fight for territory. While fights leave fighting grizzlies bloodied and scarred, they tend not to cause serious, lasting injuries.
Being a boss
Dominant male grizzlies are distinguished by their access to prime foraging areas and priority mating opportunities. Boss, in particular, is no stranger to female bears in the Bow Valley. “We have some DNA results that show [The Boss] it has fed the majority of babies in our population in Bow Valley, Banff,” Laskin said. The boss is estimated to be over 20 years old, based on a dental exam from when he was last handled in 2013. Photographer Jason Bantle captured photos last week of the infamous bear No. 122, otherwise known as The Boss. Bantle uses long lenses for safety and makes sure they are close to his vehicle if he needs to make a quick exit. (Jason Leo Bantle) In the wild, the lifespan of a male grizzly is between 20 and 25 years. However, Laskin says several factors contribute to a bear’s lifespan, including the amount of resources available and stress-free foraging. This time of year is when the bears are at their largest because they have put on weight for the months before hibernation. Most female bears hibernate between October and mid-November, while larger males will continue to forage as long as food is available, perhaps even into January. Laskin said the recent snowfall and unseasonably cold days may have led more male grizzlies to seek out their dens. Even so, visitors to Banff in the winter are advised to watch out for bears. “No matter the time of year, when you’re in the park, all visitors should always expect to encounter wildlife, including bears,” Laskin said.
