BEAR SUMMARY FOR THE BOW VALLEY
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park)
For the period: November 23 to November 29, 2018
Welcome to the last weekly bear report of 2018!
SUMMARY
As most of the bears are now moving into their dens, this will be the last bear report for the season. There have not been any reported sightings of bears in the Bow Valley this past week but there continue to be reports of bears still out of their dens in surrounding areas. Collared bear data is showing that most of the female grizzly bears are at or in their dens.
Photo courtesy of Amar Athwal
Bears may be going to sleep for the winter but that does not mean we should become complacent when recreating outdoors. Other wildlife such as cougars, wolves, coyotes and elk will still be out and about throughout the winter so we all need to remain vigilant and be prepared for encounters. Remember to carry bear spray, know how to use it and use it if required. Bear spray should be carried year-round and is also effective against non-hibernating wildlife such as cougars, wolves, coyotes and elk.
We will continue to use this mailing list to send out updates on wildlife activity, as well as WildSmart News and Events such as our upcoming Speaker Series presentations, Volunteer Wildlife Ambassador recruitment and general interest items. Also, keep an eye on the WildSmart Facebook page for updates on Bow Valley wildlife throughout the winter.
We look forward to starting the weekly bear reports again in the spring of 2019!
CURRENT WARNINGS AND CLOSURES
*There are NO current bear warnings or closures in the Bow Valley (east of the Banff park gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park) but that does NOT mean that there are no bears in these areas. You should always remain alert while walking, hiking, running and biking, and remember that bears can be encountered anytime, anywhere!
Here is a list of some Annual Closures in Kananaskis Country.
A complete list of all warnings and closures is available here for anyone visiting Kananaskis Country and Alberta Parks.
A complete list of all warnings and closures is available here for Banff National Park.
For more information on areas in the Bow Valley frequented by bears at this time of year visit our human-bear conflict summary map.
The information above 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.
AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS
Don’t forget about our upcoming Speaker Series event, The Rules we Make that Coyotes Break: Understanding human experience in wildlife co-existence, Wednesday, December 5 at 7 pm, Canmore Collegiate High School Theatre. Join Professor Shelley M. Alexander, Ph.D. from the University of Calgary, for a presentation that will explore connections between human experiences, beliefs and behaviours towards carnivores. More details can be found here!
This is a free event, however, donations towards the WildSmart program are very much appreciated.
Special thanks go out to our event sponsors, Lafarge Canada and the Rotary Club of Canmore for their generous support of our speaker series!
Please remember BEARS CAN BE ENCOUNTERED ANYWHERE, ANYTIME!