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The information below is 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 UPDATE (Oct.10-17, 2024)
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park)
Looks like another warm weekend is coming up and the crowds will be out in full force in the Bow Valley and Kananaskis Country. Bears continue to be seen out on the landscape actively searching for food to pack on those extra few pounds before heading into their dens for the winter, so this is not the time to be complacent on the trails! People need to remain vigilant and mentally ready for possible encounters as bears and other wildlife are still very active. Be prepared with bear spray, be respectful and give bears space to move and feed undisturbed.
REMOVE AND SECURE ATTRACTANTS to keep you and your neighbourhood safe! If you don't want a bear in your yard or to get it relocated or killed, make sure you don't provide it with a meal! Remove or secure ALL wildlife attractants such as fruit (on trees and on the ground), PUMPKINS, bird feeders, unsecured garbage, greasy bbq's and pet food - or you may face steep fines and be responsible for killing a bear!
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.
SLOW DOWN: Motorists need to slow down when passing wildlife roadside, obey speed limits and be extra alert (especially at dawn and dusk) as the days are getting shorter and the number of darkness hours are increasing. Remember to always stay in your vehicle and give bears at least 100m of space at all times! Check out the Friends of Kananaskis Country’s Tips for Roadside Wildlife Viewing.
Don’t provide wildlife with easy meals like pumpkins. Keep pumpkins inside to avoid getting wildlife into trouble. Archived photo courtesy of Erin Kirkland.
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. 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 trying to take pictures or trying to sneak past them on the trails. 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.
Remember: If an elk charges, position a large object (e.g. car, large tree) between you and the elk or consider using your bear spray. Never approach elk up close as they are wild animals that can react unpredictably!
Large herds of elk hanging out along the busy river trails in Canmore.
Bow hunting season is open in the Bow Valley. Due to the nature of the activity, hunters need to be cautious as they are intentionally quiet on the landscape. If you are recreating, please be aware of your surroundings and stay clear of dead animals. Everyone, including hunters, should always be prepared for surprise encounters with wildlife, carry bear spray and know how to use it!
VIEW CURRENT WARNINGS AND CLOSURES
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
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.
Bear scat can be an indication of bear activity in the area. Keep an eye out for it on the trails and do not linger in areas with fresh scat. If you do stumble upon some fresh scat out on the trails, remember to be extra vigilant, make extra noise to alert potential bears of your presence, and consider turning around if you are not prepared to handle a possible encounter with a bear. Always have your bear spray readily accessible!
Wildlife Ambassador Derek gets up close with some bear poop, let’s see what we can find out!
Connected: A Parks Canada Podcast is available on major podcast streaming platforms. This new educational tool that Parks Canada recently published, has one season with six episodes. Each episode is about a different species at risk in Banff, Yoho and Kootenay, and features an interview with the specialists who work in the parks. The episode list includes the grizzly bear, westslope cutthroat trout, black swift, wolverine, whitebark pine, and little brown bat. CLICK HERE for more information and list of episodes.
This week we are featuring the second episode about Westslope Cutthroat Trout - Description: Lace up your boots to hike into the backcountry of Banff National Park. We’re exploring alpine lakes with Brad Stitt and Shelly Humphries, leaders of the conservation project Saving Threatened Trout. Discover what it takes to correct past mistakes and reintroduce westslope cutthroat trout to their native habitat.
Westslope Cutthroat Trout mountain lake habitat. Photo credit: Parks Canada.
WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR WORDS OF WISDOM
Wildlife Ambassador Derek is back to talk about bear’s fur and how it keeps them warm and dry.
WEEKLY WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR WHEREABOUTS
In case you have not seen them yet, our amazing Volunteer Wildlife Ambassadors have been heading out onto trails and trailheads. You can find them talking to people about responsible trail use and staying safe while recreating in bear country. Last weekend they were at Upper Kananaskis Lake in PLPP. Note: the locations they are stationed at may change at the last minute.
Oct.19 - West Bragg Creek and Oct.20 - Town of Canmore
Keep an eye out for the Wildlife Ambassadors next time you are out on the trails in the Bow Valley and K-Country. If you see them on the trails, be sure to say ‘hi’ and have a chat with them!
Some of our amazing Wildlife Ambassadors out at Upper Kananaskis Lake last weekend!
WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS
WildSmart was on CBC Calgary Eyeopener to talk about bears preparing for winter.
Yukon man touts value of bear spray after close call with aggressive grizzly.
Undercooked bear meat identified as probable source of outbreak of rare parasitic disease.
Whiteshell, MB garbage depots closed as residents and province seek long-term solutions.
Meet the Indigenous people combining modern science with ancestral principles.
Seven bear spray incidents in Saskatoon include two on city buses.
It's not just Fat Bear Week in Alaska. Trail cameras are also capturing wolves, moose and more.
Many bear sightings appear to emerge, some closer than others in Thunder Bay, ON.
13 Angora Goats killed by Cougar at farm outside of Eugene, Oregon.
Kelowna man gets up close and personal with apple-eating bear.
Bear wanders arid landscape in Colombia amid water crisis.
A bear killed 27 goats near Fort Macleod.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT?
After all the bears that have been relocated and euthanized from Canmore over the past month, it is a bit concerning to see so many pumpkins sitting outside on doorsteps throughout town! With Halloween around the corner, 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, and we all need to do our best to avoid attracting wildlife into residential areas. Here are some reasons why you should not keep your pumpkins outside on your doorstep. 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.
Pumpkins placed inside your windows can still be enjoyed by trick-or-treaters!
Bears continue to be drawn into town by fruit such such as Mountain Ash. We need your help to ensure the safety of both people and bears!
Remove all fruit from branches and dispose of it responsibly. Picked fruit can be put in the residential food waste bins around town. Leaves, branches and clippings can be disposed of separately in the appropriate bins at the Boulder Crescent Recycling Depot.
WildSmart has pruning shears, extendable pole saw pruners and fruit pickers that can be borrowed (free of charge) to assist Bow Valley residents in removing that hard to reach fruit. Please send an email to resource@biosphereinstitute.org to make arrangements to borrow the fruit removal equipment.
Apply for the Town of Canmore’s Fruit Tree Removal Incentive. Picking fruit every year is a lot of work so the recommended long-term solution is to remove your fruit tree! There is still plenty of money remaining in the budget this year for the Town of Canmore’s Fruit Tree Removal Incentive Program so we urge you to consider removing your fruit tree now while the funds are available!
AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS
Cool Coexistence Creation of the Week!
Watch this cool story out of North Vancouver, B.C., where a resident built a swinging bear door to allow the bear to pass through their fence instead of having the fence bashed down repeatedly. There are no attractants on the property but it happens to be on a regular travel route for the bear. The bear immediately knew how to go through the door and it is designed to be too heavy for their dog to open. Very creative and adaptive thinking and a great example of coexistence!
UPCOMING EVENTS
October 20 - Banff Share and Repair Fair
The Town of Banff and Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley invite you to the Banff Share and Repair Fair on Sunday, Oct.20, 2024 from 10am-2pm at the Fenlands Recreation Centre Concourse in Banff.
SAVE YOUR SPOT TODAY! Free to attend and register. Save your spot by REGISTERING HERE. The first 50 people to register will be entered to win a prize of $100 to the Last Temptation! Must be at the event to win. If you would like to volunteer, please sign up here.
The Bow Valley Naturalists invite you to join them for their first program of the season. This free in-person presentation is from 7:30-9pm at the Catharine Robb Whyte Building, 101 Bear Street, Banff (above the library).
For millennium, Indigenous people used fire to maintain Canadian Rockies ecosystems. A primary objective was to provide a sustainable source of plants, wildlife, and fisheries resources. European colonization halted this long-term fire regime. Decades later, forest growth and abundant fuels have created megafires of incredible intensities and rates of spread. These now routinely destroy towns and villages. Banff and Canmore in the Bow Valley have a unique history of both fire suppression and modern fire management. What more needs to be done to reduce wildfire risk? Could the Bow Valley become a prototype “FireSmart” landscape where park protection, wildlife and human coexistence achieved?
October 26 - Banff Recycling Roundup
The Banff Recycling Roundup is on Saturday October 26, 2024 from 10am-4pm. Banff residents can stop by the parking lot by the Fire Hall on Beaver Street to drop off items, including expired bear spray, for free collection and disposal. Visit banff.ca/Roundup to view the list of accepted items.
October 27-28 - Building for Sustainability Symposium (Malcolm Hotel, Canmore)
Join us for this year’s Building for Sustainability Symposium on October 27 & 28 in Canmore, where our speakers, presenters, and panelists will be delving in to some of the complexities and contradictions of rapid, sustainable development happening across the country. Our event foregrounds some of the industry’s leading experts and professionals excelling sustainable construction, urban planning, and environmental conservation in the built environment. This symposium aims to address the pressing need for climate-resilient and environmentally conscious building solutions while considering affordability and adherence to building codes. Click here to register now!
October 29 - Earth Talks: Heat Pumps and Canmore’s Clean Energy Improvement Program
Join us with Stephanie Ripley, Program Manager, Sustainability Services, Alberta Municipalities, and Lance Trewartha, Owner, Brightside Mechanical, for their presentation "Heat Pumps and Canmore’s Clean Energy Improvement Program! How to Reduce Your Energy Use and Carbon Footprint." Stephanie and Lance will be sharing how you can upgrade your home's energy efficiency and/or install renewable energy at no upfront cost with the Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP). This FREE Earth Talks event will take place on Tuesday, October 29 from 7-8pm, in the Friends Program Room at the Canmore Public Library. Registration is required to attend in-person, or you can join online LIVE via Zoom by clicking here.
October 30 - Climate Conversations
How to talk with friends and family about climate. Please join us at the Biosphere office in Canmore (2nd floor of the Senior's Centre in Canmore at 201-600a 9th Street) on Wednesday October 30 from 7-9pm. The community's top-ranked climate conversation topic is “How to talk with friends and family about climate," and you’ll “learn by doing" as we go through some tried and true activities to set you up for success on this front! (And yes, there will be cookies!)
No prior experience, knowledge or RSVP necessary – come out to find community connections, inspiration, and answers to some of the climate solutions that apply to the Bow Valley!
November 15 - Biosphere Institute’s 3rd Annual Community Square Dance Fundraiser!
The Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley invites you to join us for some boot stompin' fun at our third annual Square Dance Community Fundraiser! The most fun you can have with your boots on...
We will provide you with an incredible live band, light snacks and so much laughing your belly will hurt the next day! Dress to impress in your best Western wear! Prizes for "Best dressed" and "Most enthusiastic" dancer.
Friday, November 15, 2024
Doors open: 6:30 PM at the Cornerstone Theatre in Canmore
Dance begins at 7:30 PM and runs until late.
General Admission: $45+processing fees
Silent auction, draw prizes and more! All profits go to supporting the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley. All are welcome! We welcome young and old cowboys, cowgirls, and cowpals! No dance experience or partner necessary. Please let us know if you have any accessibility concerns that we should know about. If affordability is a barrier to this event, please reach out to tanya@biosphereinstitute.org. Since we would love to make this an inclusive event for all, we have a limited number of lower priced tickets available. The past two years have sold out, so get your tickets soon. Yeehaw, see you there!
Curious what the event is like? Check out this awesome video from last year by Greg Monforton!
November 24 - Melodies for a Resilient Future: Jasper Benefit Concert
Join us for a fun evening of musical entertainment and engaging speakers to raise funds for Jasper Wildfire relief. Click here for tickets.
Presented in partnership with Scott Diehl and Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley, 100% of the evening's proceeds go to the Jasper Community Team Society to benefit Jasper fire victims.
Digital Hobo and Friends will provide fun and evocative live music. Songs about community, hope and adaptation during these days of rapidly changing climate. Enjoy new songs from the 2025 release Climate Stories.
Sarah Elmeligi is the current MLA for Banff-Kananaskis. She has extensive experience in wilderness and parks conservation with Alberta Parks and Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society and the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative. Sarah will speak on community resilience in the era of wildfires.
Ryan Bray is a long time resident of Jasper. Tragically, he lost his home to the fire. Ryan will talk to us about the lived experience of a wildfire refugee in a mountain town in Alberta.
Caitlin Miller from Town of Canmore will update us on the activities in the Bow Valley to adapt to the increasing threat of wildfire. Emergency preparedness, firesmarting, and fire buffers will be discussed.
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 Dispatch at 403.591.7755