A woman who captured a widely-shared video of her dog off-leash near a grizzly bear has been fined $1,500 after admitting guilt in Canmore Court of Justice. Brook Koski faced charges for allowing her dog off-leash in Banff National Park.
The video, lasting about 90 seconds, depicted the incident where Koski’s husband, Kraig, equipped with bear spray, was in close proximity to Grizzly Bear 142, known as a renowned female bear. The footage, which garnered millions of views on TikTok, showed Kraig urging the bear to back off and move away, while an off-leash dog ran between him and his wife, who was recording the encounter. The grizzly bear, identified as the offspring of Bear 122, also known as The Boss, displayed no signs of hostility.
In court, Brook Koski expressed tearful regret for her lapse in judgment, acknowledging the mistake and stating that they had learned from the incident. Her lawyer, Isaak Hurst, mentioned that Koski was distressed during the encounter, emphasizing their respect for Canadian nature and wildlife.
Crown attorney Caroline Lirette described the situation as terrifying, stressing the importance of keeping dogs on-leash to prevent negative encounters with bears. Lirette highlighted the responsibility of visitors to adhere to park rules and emphasized the need for coexistence with wildlife.
Three witnesses on the trail reported the off-leash dog to park wardens on July 19, leading to the discovery of the video on Koski’s TikTok and Strava accounts. Justice Indra Maharaj emphasized the unpredictability of animal behavior and the importance of following leash laws to ensure safety for both people and wildlife.
Parks Canada mandates that dogs must be leashed at all times in national parks. Giuliana Eljuri, a communications officer for Banff field unit, advised visitors to leave dogs at home when camping or hiking and to check for trail restrictions before visiting national parks. She underscored the legal prohibition of feeding, enticing, or disturbing wildlife in national parks, including allowing off-leash dogs to chase wildlife.