Meet ‘The Boss’ – Banff’s Biggest, Baddest Bear

Image source: All in the Wild/Facebook

Now onto something a little more Grizzly… Oh, we have fun, you and I. Don’t we imaginary reader? Wasn’t that fun?

Okay, but seriously, let’s talk bears. One bear in particular. Bear #122 of Banff National Park, otherwise known as – The Boss.

‘The Boss’ is something of an Albertan legend. He is a Grizzly, about 25 years old & weighing in at an approximated 300 kg. Bear #122 finds himself perched high and mighty at the top of the food chain in Banff National Park, and is not to be trifled with.

As I write this on Oct 4, 2023, The Boss has been sighted in town this past week, snacking on fruits from local’s yards. Adopting the self sufficient, agrarian ideal of harvesting your own backyard fruit and vegetable is almost always extremely commendable. Almost, and always. However, in Banff this treads the line of stupidity. Maybe a strong word, but growing what is essentially candy for bears, in a bear populated area, in a time of year where bears are stocking up before entering hibernation… and tourists are flooding in and out of the town… This invites a dangerous situation, wouldn’t you think imaginary reader? Not just for us goofy old humans, but for these majestic bears like The Boss, who I’m sure would prefer not to be shot down for being lured towards a rightful meal. These ‘grizzled’ vets do indeed get defensive if their food source is threatened. Can you blame them?

“So, The Boss is kinda just, a big grizzly… that’s why you write this?” you ask me with your eyes rolling. Well both yes, and no. I reply to your condescending imaginary question. I stare back at you, ever so knowledgeably and you see my eyes are full of a deep and blue wisdom well beyond my years. I fling a booger at you and it hits you on the cheek. The Boss, I continue, has also racked up quite the rap sheet. Firstly, he’s been hit by the local train (twice). He’s also been spotted eating a black bear. The remains of the black bear were investigated. All damage it had received had been exclusively from The Boss. This was no animal carcass he was feeding on, but a live meal he hunted down and ate. The big guy also boasts quite the libido! He has spread his seed far and wide, fathering up to 70% of Banff’s grizzly population (estimated at around 60 grizzly bears). Child support bills have been racking up in recent years for our guy, but he continues to soldier on and bravely continue advancing his race.

Like any main character, it seems only fitting for our big beautiful bear to have himself a rival. And he does, in the shape of another grizzly – Bear #136, a 225kg bear known as ‘Split Lip’. Split Lip has also been seen to have cannibalistic tendencies (nice punk rock name?) when food supplies are low. He was spotted hunting and eating a 90kg grizzly (Bear #132) in 2015. Split Lip & The Boss have engaged in epic fights over the years, and are both undoubtably legends in their own right. So hats off to The Boss, hats off to Split Lip and hats off to sweet Mother Nature, and her eternal due diligence to make the Earth a freaking awesome place, home to beasts both big and small. Way to go Mother Nature. Way to go.