Did you know that WildSmart is a program of the Biosphere Institute, a local charity? Our work relies entirely on donations and sponsors. If you would like to support our community-based efforts to promote human-wildlife coexistence, please donate!
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 (Oct.6-13, 2022)
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park)
Although bear activity has slowed down in the Bow Valley, bears continue to be in the news! A mother black bear and cub were relocated from Banff to a remote area of Banff National Park after the cub got into human food and garbage. This is more sad news and serves as yet another harsh reminder that residents and visitors need to ensure ALL wildlife attractants are either removed or properly secured, including but not limited to: garbage, recycling, pet food, fruit trees, pumpkins, compost, greasy bbq's, commercial waste bins/dumpsters and bird feeders. Removing/securing all of these food sources could save a bear's life!
Do not leave garbage on the ground next to bins if they are full! In Canmore, call 403.678.1580 if you see a bin that needs to be emptied. In Banff, if the bins are full call 403.762.1240 or report it online at banff.ca/action.
The trails in the Bow Valley and Kananaskis Country continue to be busy with people but with fairly warm temperatures ahead, people should be expecting to see bears (both black and grizzly) and bear signs. It is important to be prepared before leaving the house and that includes checking for trail warnings and closures, planning to travel in a group, leaving pets at home if you are not able to keep them on a leash, and bringing bear spray and knowing how to use it. In case of those surprise encounters, people should be able to deploy their bear spray in under 3 seconds. Be extra alert on the trails and if you see fresh signs of bears (i.e. scat, tracks), consider turning around to give the bears space.
Grizzly bear family crossing the road down in K-Country. Photo courtesy of Misha Mustaqeem.
Elk continue to be seen and heard bugling along trails and in wide open fields such as school yards and playing fields around town, which means you may have to choose an alternate route while out for a walk/run/ride. Parents need to have a conversation with their children about giving wildlife lots of space, not trying to sneak past wildlife on the trail and calmly leaving the area if they see elk or other wildlife on their commute to school.
Male elk are particularly protective of any female elk they are with, and there continue to be reports of large rutting bull elk showing aggression towards people getting too close. Give plenty of space to ALL ELK (at least 30 metres or 3 bus lengths), never try to sneak past them, never get between a male elk and the female elk and keep pets on a leash. More information about elk encounters here.
Never try to sneak past elk as they are wild animals that need their space and can react unpredictably! Give them at least 30m of space, which is a lot more than in this photo!
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
A reminder that it is hunting season so please be aware of your surroundings and stay clear of dead animals. Hunters need to be cautious as due to the nature of their activity, they are intentionally being quiet on the landscape. They should always carry bear spray and know how to use it, even if they are carrying a gun.
Bears need a healthy fat layer before they go into their deep sleep; it helps them to stay warm and provides calories to survive the winter. If they don’t gain enough fat reserves, they may wake up early in the spring or during the winter in a desperate attempt to find more food. If that fails, the bear may face starvation. Female bears that do not have adequate fat reserves will not be able to reproduce. With that in mind, bears will continue to actively search for food in the coming weeks to pack on those extra few pounds before heading into their dens for the winter. As such, it is important that everyone remains vigilant and mentally prepared for possible encounters, and that all wildlife attractants are either removed or properly secured at home and on the trails.
Here is a bio for this year’s winner of Fat Bear Week. The bears in our area don’t get this big, but for bears, the fatter the better!
WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS
A mother bear and cub were relocated out of Banff townsite for accessing food and garbage.
The Narwhal has a recent article titled “B.C. has killed 5,632 black bears since 2011: ‘there’s no sign that it’s getting better’”.
Critically injured B.C. women were victims of 'rare predatory attack' by a black bear near Dawson Creek, B.C.
Two wolf pups were struck and killed by vehicles in Kootenay National Park in two weeks.
Watch this video of a black bear making a snack out of a hummingbird feeder.
A group of black bears feast on pumpkins sitting out on a doorstep.
Read this interesting article about how Park rangers saw something unprecedented in this year’s fat bears in Katmai National Park in Alaska.
WildSmart was on Global News yesterday to talk about bears getting into trouble in town.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT?
Halloween is around the corner and with that, pumpkins are starting to make an appearance. Please be proactive and remember to keep pumpkins inside of windows and NOT outside on your doorstep. Pumpkins are a wildlife attractant to all sorts of animals, not just bears. You might think that your pumpkin is safe on a balcony, far off the ground, but bears are very good climbers. Check out this video of an ingenious bear climbing up onto a balcony.
Keep your doorstep bear free by placing pumpkins inside windows! Image downloaded from October 13, 2022 edition of the Rocky Mountain Outlook.
WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR WORDS OF WISDOM
Wildlife Ambassador Derek is back to talk about bear’s fur and how it keeps them warm and dry.
AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS
The results are in and the crowned champion of Fat Bear Week 2022 is 747! Few brown bears ever grow as large as the bear who shares an identification number with a jumbojet airplane. When 747 was first identified in 2004, he was a relatively young bear, only a few years old and unable to compete with larger bears for the most preferred fishing locations. Since then, he has become one of the largest brown bears on Earth, perhaps weighing as much as 1,400 pounds (636 kg). To put this into perspective, one of the largest grizzly bear in our area, The Boss, weighs around 600 pounds, making him almost half the size of 747! You can view the results and meet all the contenders by clicking here. Watch this video below to learn more about the winner of Fat Bear Week 2022 - 747!
Over 80 Bow Valley community members including students, businesses, environmental groups, industry, and tourism associations gathered on October 11 to connect with each other on climate solutions!
The "Communi-Tree" you see here is a gathering of each person's commitment to climate action following this meeting. Just like a tree grows and matures, so will these commitments. Participants also created this word cloud!
We truly believe climate action is a community-wide effort. At the Biosphere Institute, our goal is to facilitate collaborative, multi-sector action on climate. Thanks to Banff Canmore Community Foundation, the Coast Hotel, and Town of Canmore for their support of this initiative.
Click here if you want to be on our mailing list to attend a future Accelerating Climate Action initiative!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Do-Si-Do Square Dance for the Biosphere!
Friday, October 28, we are hosting a Square Dance, celebration and fundraiser including a silent auction at the Cornerstone Theatre. Tickets are just $25 - buy them now before they sell out!
Click here for event details! Thank you to Lafarge Canada for the sponsorship of this event!
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