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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.11-18, 2022)
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park)
Bear sightings in the Bow Valley have been steady throughout the week and in addition to eating buffaloberries, bears are keying in on the Dogwood berries so we are seeing an increase in bear activity in areas where Dogwood berries are present.
Bear actvity in K-Country has increased as bears are feeding on berries near waterbodies such as Upper and Lower Kananaskis Lakes and Spray Lake. The berries close to the lakes are the best ones around in K-Country as the water helps stabilize the air temperature around the lakes. As such, several new warnings and closures have been put in place to give these bears the space they need to feed undisturbed.
Trail users need to be vigilant if they are seeing berries as there is a high probability of a bear in close proximity focused on feeding. As such, they 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. With the heat there has been an increase in nighttime bear activity including dawn and dusk. If you are recreating during these times be extra cautious.
Garbage continues to be a concern with people not securing wildlife attractants properly and leaving garbage along trails, in day use areas and in campsites. It is YOUR 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!
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
While bears are focused on eating berries it is very important for residents and visitors heading into bear country to make lots of noise to alert wildlife of their presence, keep pets on a leash and carry bear spray in an easily accessible location! From various sources, we are getting reports that numerous people biking or jogging along the river trails in Canmore are wearing headphones, not making any noise and not carrying bear spray.
Wildlife Ambassador Derek has some great videos below about Shepherdia, more commonly known as Buffaloberry.
It's the plant bears dream about all year long. The berries make up a HUGE percentage of the bear's food in July and August. It's the plant with 3 names, and yes, you can make soap with it.
There's a tiny bit of goodness in each shepherdia berry. Here's how YOU can try it without getting a mouthful of soap!
For more information on areas in the Bow Valley frequented by bears during berry season visit our human-bear conflict summary map.
WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS
A B.C. man captures video of a cougar encounter.
Watch this short clip showing how quickly a bear can climb a tree!
A woman was injured by a black bear in an encounter on Anchorage’s popular Coastal Trail.
A brown bear breaks into 'bear-proof' trash can in Alaska as cubs watch from the sidelines.
Wildlife photographer spends five years following a wild wolf pack in Kootenay National Park.
Visitors to Banff are urged to securely dispose of garbage and food.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT?
Since the berry crop this year is not looking great, 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. Fruit trees are the main attractants that will draw bears into residential areas and NOW is the time to remove the fruit before a bear points out the problem! Leaving fruit (such as crabapple, mountain ash, chokecherry and dogwood) in your trees can attract bears into residential areas, putting bears and people at risk. The best practice is to remove fruit bearing trees and shrubs from your yard, however if you decide to keep your fruit bearing trees and shrubs, please ensure the fruit is removed BEFORE it is ripe!
These are common fruits/berries that attract bears into residential areas (pictured clockwise from top left); Chokecherry, Crabapples, Dogwood and Mountain Ash.
If you are renting or live in a condo complex, please contact your landlord or condo board/association and notify them if there are trees with fruits and berries on the property so they can arrange to either remove the trees or ensure the fruit is removed. If you can’t reach that fruit up in the tree, no problem! We have 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.
Image downloaded from August 12, 2021 edition of the Rocky Mountain Outlook.
WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR WORDS OF WISDOM
Watching for Bear Signs – Flipped Rocks by Derek Ryder, Volunteer Wildlife Ambassador and IGA Interpretive Guide
Kananaskis Country is home to a lot of animals, including bears. Recreating safely in bear country means more than just knowing what to do in a bear encounter. It’s also understanding signs that bears are around, so that maybe those encounters can be prevented. Bears are big enough that they almost always leave evidence that they’ve been present – if you know what to look for. Keeping your eyes peeled for this evidence can help you be aware if bears are present, and will decrease the risk that you’ll accidentally run into a bear. In this series of articles, I’m going to help you learn about some of the signs bears leave in the forest.
A prime food for bears any time they’re awake is ants. A few months ago, I noted that broken logs were a good sign bears were going after Carpenter ants. Being opportunistic feeders, bears often just sniff for things on their travels. Finding an ant colony as they walk from point A to point B is kind of a food “freebee”. And one place ants live is under rocks.
It is not the slightest bit uncommon to be walking on a trail, through a meadow, or in an open forest, and find rocks that have been flipped over. Usually, the flipped rocks are big; the bigger the rock, the more that can hide under it. In the last few weeks alone, I’ve seen rocks flipped over that were so heavy, it was hard for me to move them.
Click here or on the image below to read Derek’s full article about Flipping Rocks!
Click on this image of a flipped rock to read the full article!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Dogs off-leash in Natural Areas webinar
A final reminder about this Dogs off-leash in Natural Areas webinar tonight from 6:30-7:30pm MDT. No need to register, just click here to join the webinar.
This September, test drive an electric vehicle!
Biosphere Institute is bringing the Plug ‘n’ Drive Mobile Electric Vehicle Education Trailer (MEET) to Banff and Canmore in September! This is a hub for electric vehicle education and awareness, and there will be free, bookable test drives available. Click here for dates and information!
AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS
Welcome to our new Community Engagement Intern, Ava! Ava supports the Bow Valley Isn’t Disposable program, working to normalize reusable containers within the local towns and educating the public on the impact of reuse. She also takes on multiple community projects revolving around waste management, interacting with local community members and supporting the work of the Biosphere Institute.
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