grouse mountain's famous grizzly bear grinder dies at 25
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for more than two decades, grinder helped introduce generations of visitors to grizzly bears and the importance of wildlife conservation, becoming one of grouse mountain’s most recognizable and beloved residents.
his death on friday after an irreversible spinal condition has left staff mourning the loss of a bear they had cared for since he was a cub, and his longtime companion, coola, without the bear he had lived alongside for 25 years.
grouse mountain’s grizzly bear grinder first started showing symptoms after he came out of hibernation in the spring. he later suffered paralysis of his hind legs.
devin manky/grouse mountain
dr. ken macquisten, director and veterinarian at grouse mountain wildlife refuge, said staff first noticed grinder was a bit stiff when he emerged from hibernation in the spring. “it progressed to a bit of a limp the last several weeks in his left hind leg, and more recently, in the last week or so, it became markedly worse,” he said.
the limp progressed to paralysis on grinder’s hind legs, forcing the bear to pull himself around with his front legs in order to get around.
vets believe grinder had intervertebral disc disease, or wearing out of the spinal disc, that led to a buildup of calcium in his spine — a common condition affecting elderly bears.
“we threw the kitchen sink at it, with anti-inflammatories and medication designed to help with the paralysis,” said macquisten. “none of them made any difference.”
with no realistic chance of recovery or a return to an acceptable quality of life, the decision was made to euthanize grinder. he died friday morning in his hibernation den. a necropsy will be conducted.
grizzly bears can live to be 20 to 30 years old in the wild, although most die at a younger age.
grinder came to grouse mountain in 2001 after being found as an orphaned cub in invermere. three weeks later, coola, an orphaned cub in bella coola, followed.
through the years, the pair have become constant companions and best friends, rarely more than 150 yards apart within their 5 1/2-acre enclosure. their annual awakening from winter hibernation has become a rite viewed by fans around the world on the resort’s webcams.
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grinder, gregarious and curious, was a natural leader to coola’s follower, said macquisten.
dr. ken macquisten, director and veterinarian at grouse mountain wildlife refuge.
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without fail, grinder was the first to pop out of the den after hibernation, followed by coola. it became such a reliable tradition that macquisten joked he could predict it with absolute certainty — even once offering 1,000-to-one odds on grinder coming out first, although no one accepted the bet.
grinder and coola would wrestle and roll and nudge each other. they also had tender moments, when they would lick, tease and nuzzle the other.
grizzly bears grinder (r) and coola in action as they approach their 20th birthdays at grouse mountain on july 19, 2021.
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their friendship had defied what is typically thought of as grizzly bear behaviour, said macquisten.
“typically, people think grizzlies are loners, and they are in the wild because they are competing for resources and sex partners. here, they didn’t have to worry about that. they’re just being friends and having fun with each other. that came through, and people are able to witness that here.”
last november, grinder entered the den with coola for what would be his final winter hibernation. he weighed 440 kilograms, or 970 pounds, and coola weighed 465 kilograms or 1,025 pounds. the pair emerged in april after 144 days of hibernation.
coola is healthy and doing well, but staff are concerned, knowing the bears’ close friendship.
grizzly bear coola sleeps on grouse mountain following the death of fellow resident bear grinder who died july 31, 2026 after an irreversible spinal condition.
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macquisten said coola likely noticed grinder had not been able to join him for swims in the ponds or for feedings and was spending more time resting or not moving.
after grinder’s death, staff gave coola one-on-one time with grinder before his longtime companion was removed from the habitat, a practice many accredited zoos observe to help animals with the loss of a companion. coola spent about 15 minutes in the den “checking him out,” said macquisten, before deciding he wanted to go out and have a nap in the woods.
“we’re going to be watching him carefully to see how he’s doing. we expect he is going to miss grinder greatly,” he said.
grinder seen in this undated photo playing in the snow. the grizzly bear came to grouse mountain as an orphaned cub and lived there until he died at age 25.
devin manky/grouse mountain
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devin manky photography
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the wildlife refuge remains open to providing a home for any orphaned cubs, but it’s unlikely — and “quite risky” — for coola to share the habitat with another bear, he said.
grouse mountain has been home to four grizzly bears in total. two bears from williams lake — cari and boo — lived for a year at grouse mountain before they were transferred in 2003 to kicking horse mountain resort, where boo still lives.
currently, all grizzly bears orphaned in b.c. are put into a rewilding program in smithers.
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