Inuvik is facing a significant issue with bears, and experts suggest that the only effective resolution might be lethal.
In 2025, scientists from the N.W.T. Department of Environment and Climate Change recorded 3,936 detections of bears using trail cameras, with instances of up to 13 bears captured in one image. DNA testing revealed that over 40 bears frequently frequented the landfill as their source of food.
After the installation of an electric fence surrounding the dump, as initially reported by Cabin Radio, many bears have not survived.
While estimates differ, Toby Halle, a renewable resource officer in Inuvik, indicates that at least 28 bears were shot by officials, with additional bears killed by residents. He mentioned that the likelihood of the few remaining bears surviving is quite low.
“Their fate was pretty much written in the stars, I guess,” Halle remarked.
In 2025, researchers could spot multiple bears in one frame from trail cameras, sometimes as many as 13. (Government of the Northwest Territories)
Following directives from the Gwich’in Land and Water Board, authorities constructed an electric fence around the landfill to deter bears. This method is being adopted by other landfills throughout North America, but thus far, Inuvik is the sole community in the Beaufort Delta region to implement it.
The cost of the project was nearly one million dollars, partially funded by federal resources, according to Inuvik Mayor Peter Clarkson.
“There was a lot of concern in the community for sure. Many were asking why the town was taking this action. Isn’t it better to let the bears forage at the landfill in the long run?” Clarkson stated.
“No, it’s not better because this is the situation you end up with.”
The electric system was activated this summer; however, the issue persisted. Instead, bears began to appear in Inuvik searching for food.
Others were seen wandering around the fence in search of sustenance.
One of the grizzly bears captured by trail cameras prowling the Inuvik dump in May, 2026. (Government of the Northwest Territories)
“They would just circle around the dump and appear emaciated and sickly,” Halle described. “They are lost and, frankly, we don’t have a clear solution for them.”
The challenge is that for many of these bears, the landfill has been their only source of sustenance.
“We’ve likely had three to four generations of bears relying on that landfill,” Clarkson noted, based on estimates that female grizzlies can start birthing cubs at around age seven. “Regrettably, this issue should have been addressed 25 years ago.”
After the electric fence was switched on in April, many bears “didn’t know what to do with themselves,” say Toby Halle, renewable resource officer. (Government of the Northwest Territories)
Clarkson expressed relief that there were no unfortunate bear incidents, but noted that residents of Inuvik remained vigilant throughout the summer.
“We received numerous bear-related calls,” Halle reported.
He mentioned that previously, the department attempted to relocate one family group, but they returned within a matter of days.
Dr. Lana Ciarniello, an independent conservation scientist and co-chair of the human-bear conflict expert team with the International Union for Conservation of Nature, indicated that relocating bears, especially in the N.W.T. where there are abundant bear populations, is not a feasible option.
“Where will you relocate them? You would be placing them in someone else’s territory,” she noted, emphasizing that this increases the likelihood of conflicts between bears.
“Relocating bears is not a solution.”
In Europe, she mentioned that problematic bears have been placed in captivity under no-kill policies. However, she pointed out that many of these wild bears struggle to adapt to captivity, and Canada lacks sufficient specialized facilities to accommodate them.
Thus, the focus should be on prevention.
“Bears should not be foraging on garbage. It is 2026. It’s absurd to have open pit dumps anywhere in Canada. They need to be shut down,” she asserted.
Many bears had grown up relying on the Inuvik landfill as a food source, like this one pictured in 2017. (Steven Baryluk/Government of the Northwest Territories)
Halle predicts that bear activity will be slightly elevated over the next couple of years before returning to normalcy.
This is contingent on the fence remaining intact and the town ensuring it remains bear-proof.
“We create these bears,” Ciarniello stated. “They are not problems by nature.”