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The information below is based upon a compilation of bear information provided by government agencies and unconfirmed sightings reported by the public over the last week. It is not intended to be used as a real-time, complete record of where bears are in the valley.
BEAR ACTIVITY SUMMARY (Aug.5-11, 2022)
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park)
There continues to be a lot of bear activity in the Bow Valley as bears are searching for food such as buffaloberries, dogwood and other natural vegetation. This has resulted in several more warnings being put in place to give bears the space they need to feed undisturbed.
Yesterday a black bear was seen moving through the downtown core in Canmore. Residents should be removing buffaloberry bushes and any fruit from the trees in their yards to help keep bears out of trouble!
Yesterday a black bear was hit and killed by a vehicle just west of Dead Man’s Flats in the westbound lanes on the Trans Canada Highway. Just because there’s a wildlife fence, it does not mean wildlife can’t be encountered on the highway. Motorists are reminded to slow down and obey posted speed limits and to slow down when passing wildlife roadside.
Trail users should be making lots of noise to alert any bears in the area of their presence, and do their best to avoid areas where bears have been seen or where active warnings have been put in place to reduce the risk of encounters. Bears have their heads down and are focused on eating berries which increases the chance of surprise encounters.
Garbage continues to be a concern with people leaving garbage along trails and in day use areas. It is OUR responsibility to make sure that garbage finds its way into a bear proof bin. If the garbage bin is full, find another bin or pack your garbage out with you. We can’t prevent bears from walking through our yards, picnic areas and campsites, but we can certainly do our best not to give them a food reward or reason to linger!
Is this a black bear or a grizzly bear?
These photos were taken roadside this past week in K-Country and many people reported it, and most got it wrong.
The answer is provided somewhere in this bear report!
You can also submit your report using the Report-A-Poacher Online form or contact your local district Fish and Wildlife office.
SOME THINGS TO ‘BEAR’ IN MIND
Young Nate posing in front of this eye-catching mural in Jackson Hole, Wyoming with some great reminders to help avoid encounters with bears! Photo by Meredith Erickson.
Be prepared and on the lookout for bears feeding on buffaloberries while you recreate, as many berry bushes are found along popular trails. All trail users should have a heightened awareness, keep dogs on a leash, carry bear spray in an easily accessible location on their person, know how to use it and make lots of noise to alert bears of their presence.
Does bear spray work? YES! In a 2008 publication, scientists analyzed 83 cases involving the use of bear spray in Alaska. Results showed that in 90% of close-range encounters with black and brown bears, bear spray stopped the bear’s undesirable behaviour.
In the video below you can see even a small amount of bear spray was enough to deter the approaching black bear!
For more information on areas in the Bow Valley frequented by bears at this time of year visit our human-bear conflict summary map.
WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS
Here is some more information about the young boy who was attacked by a cougar last week near Rocky Mountain House. The cougar that attacked the young boy above was euthanized by Fish and Wildlife officers.
A man was attacked by a black bear while jogging alone in Washington State.
Perfect grizzly bear sighting at the ‘Grizzly Giant’ tree in Yosemite National Park
A hiker faces multiple charges after shooting and injuring a black bear in Jasper National Park.
A 10-year-old boy was injured by a black bear in a defenisve attack in Ontario.
Researcher Clayton Lamb tracks bears to help reduce conflict with humans.
A black bear wandering through Airdrie was tranquilized and relocated this past week.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT?
Since the berry crop this year is not looking great, combined with the fact that other natural foods have been limited this year, bears will be looking for any rich food sources. As such, we all need to be extra diligent in securing and removing attractants in our yards in Canmore.
There are some fruit trees in Canmore that are starting to show some ripening fruit (specifically crabapples and cherries) so NOW is the time to remove the fruit before a bear points out the problem! Leaving fruit in your trees can attract bears into residential areas, putting bears and people at risk. Canmore residents can be fined for letting fruit and berries accumulate on trees and on the ground in their yards.
WildSmart has pruning shears and extendable pole saw pruners and fruit pickers that can be borrowed (free of charge) to assist Bow Valley residents in removing fruit and berry bushes from their property. Please send an email to resource@biosphereinstitute.org to make arrangements to borrow the fruit removal equipment.
If you prefer to remove your fruit tree (recommended), the Town of Canmore is running a Voluntary Fruit Tree Removal Incentive Program. More information and details about how to participate can be found on their website.
Our extendable pole saw pruner. Great for removing mountain ash!
Extendable fruit picker that can be borrowed from WildSmart.
CHALLENGE: Time for another optical illusion challenge! Can you find a man’s face hidden inside the bear sketch below in under 20 seconds? (The answer is in the Paws-itive News section below.)
WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR WORDS OF WISDOM
"BUSTING BEAR MYTHS" BY DEREK RYDER, WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR
Myth#7: By having my dog with me on a trail, I’m less likely to risk a bear attack.
Fact: Bears don’t like dogs. In truth, they don’t understand what a “dog” is. But they do understand canids, which is the family of animals dogs are in. Canids here are wolves, coyotes and foxes. Bears don’t like any of them. Wolves try to steal bear kills, and will predate young bears. Coyotes and foxes try to scavenge from bear kills. Bears don’t see canids as a good thing. They see wolves, dogs, and coyotes as threats.
If your dog lunges and barks at a bear, even on leash, that’s seen by the bear as aggression. Bears are big enough to believe – rightly so – that they’re the kings of the forest. If a canid is aggressive towards them, they’ll probably be aggressive back – which will be bad for your dog, and bad for you. Sure, it might scare the bear off, especially if there are a few of you and you look like a pack to a bear (bears don’t like packs of anything). If your dog turns and runs, that will trigger a pursuit reflex in a bear. Prey runs away. By running, your dog just identified itself as something worth chasing.
Dogs rarely make bear encounters better. Even on-leash, your dog is generally not going to be an asset in a bear encounter. It may actually turn an otherwise benign encounter into an attack situation. Plus, bear spray is a two-handed thing. How do you use two hands when one of them has a leash in it, attached to a dog?
Bears see wolves (pictured), dogs, and coyotes as threats. Photo credit: Yellowstone National Park Flickr.
August Hot Topic Webinar - Dogs off-leash in natural areas
Regulations requiring people to put their dogs on-leash in parks and other natural areas have always been controversial. With more people and their dogs recreating outside, the controversy grows. Join the Alberta Chapter of the Wildlife Society (ACTWS) on August 18 as they explore some of the science behind dogs off-leash - impacts and owners' compliance with regulations.
Turns out this is a hot topic literally around the world. This webinar features speakers from Australia, the United States, and Alberta. You won't want to miss the rich discussion that is sure to follow their amazing presentations! You can check out the speakers’ abstracts and bios now!
No need to register, just click here to join the webinar on August 18 at 6:30pm MDT.
AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS
Welcome to the Biosphere Institute team Heidi Widmer! Raised near the Bow River and the surrounding summits within Treaty 7 territory, Heidi is deeply committed to educating on behalf of this place that shaped her. As our new Environmental Educator, Heidi both coordinates and delivers K-12 curriculum-connected programs throughout the Bow Corridor. Heidi would like to mention that the mystery bear in the picture at the top of this bear report is a grizzly bear!
Here is the answer to the optical illusion challenge. It may appear too tricky to find the man’s face, but if you tilt your head slightly to the right it may help. The bear's owner can be seen facing the base of the bear's neck with the top of his face appearing just below the bear's left ear.
BANFF ISN’T DISPOSABLE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Biosphere Institute has officially partnered with Banff Isn’t Disposable to expand this reusable takeout container program to the Bow Valley. We are thrilled about this opportunity to build the circular economy in both Canmore and Banff!
We need volunteers in Banff for the rest of the market season. At your shift, expect to promote zero waste, talk with the public, and hang out with like-minded people.
Please remember BEARS CAN BE ENCOUNTERED ANYWHERE, ANYTIME!
Report any sightings of a bear, cougar, wolf or any aggressive wildlife in Kananaskis Country or the Bow Valley to Kananaskis Emergency Services at 403.591.7755