Unsecured municipal landfills can be a major attractant for bears. This is a public safety concern, as landfills are often located near municipal centres and food-conditioned bears present a risk of human-bear conflict. In the remote Arctic town of Inuvik, Canada, the municipal landfill is frequented by grizzly bears, resulting in regular community concerns and occasional bear mortalities.

A chain-link fence was installed around the Inuvik landfill in fall of 2025 and will be electrified prior to the bears emerging from hibernation in spring 2026. Grizzly bear monitoring was conducted at the landfill throughout the summers before and after fence construction using trail cameras and hair snags to evaluate the impacts of the fence on bear activity, landfill use, and behaviour.

The camera data provides us with insights into the demographics, condition, and seasonal and daily activity patterns of grizzly bears at the landfill. Additionally, photos and videos from the cameras can provide information about the effectiveness of the fence, as well as behavioural observations of bear interactions with the electrified fence and with other bears. In 2025, our trail cameras captured 3,936 detections of bears, with up to 13 bears visible in frame at one time.

The genetic data from hair snags will allow us to identify a minimum number of bears visiting the landfill, to examine which bears remain at the landfill throughout the summer and which are transient landfill users, and to track fates of these bears after the landfill has been removed as a food source. In 2025, 548 samples were collected from hair snags and have been sent for DNA analysis.

Keeping communities and bears safe is a collaborative effort that requires strong partnerships and communication. This work highlights the challenges and lessons learned from the Inuvik landfill fencing process, as well as the effectiveness of using hair snags and trail cameras for monitoring grizzly bears in a contained area.