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The Conversation
The Conversation
Emily Wanderer, Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh

How facial recognition for bears can help ecologists manage wildlife

Can you tell these bears apart now? Would you recognize them if you saw them again tomorrow? Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

When a grizzly bear attacked a group of fourth- and fifth-graders in western Canada in late November 2025, it sparked more than a rescue effort for the 11 people injured – four with severe injuries. Local authorities began trying to find the specific bear that was involved in order to relocate or euthanize it, depending on the results of their assessment.

The attack, in Bella Coola, British Columbia, was very unusual bear behavior and sparked an effort to figure out exactly what had happened and why. That meant finding the bear involved – which, based on witness statements, was a mother grizzly with two cubs.

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