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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
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park) For the period: May 28 to June 4, 2021
Aggressive mother elk are in the headlines this week but don’t forget about the bears as there continue to be sightings of family groups of both grizzly and black bears on both sides of the Bow Valley and down in K-Country. Make lots of noise (yell, shout) to let wildlife know you are coming down the trail to avoid surprise encounters with wildlife and give them time to move off of the trail.
There continue to be multiple reports of aggressive mother elk charging at and even making contact with people throughout the Town of Canmore. These incidents are occurring on both sides of the valley along trails, in backyards, parks, playgrounds, school yards and near green spaces. During elk calving season a mother elk will aggressively protect her calf by kicking and charging at you if she feels threatened. The best way to keep them at ease is to stay at least 30m away - which is three school bus lengths - never try to sneak past them!
There have also been recent reports of bears and cougars in Canmore looking for elk calves. During May and June there is an increased risk of encountering predators such as bears, cougars, wolves and coyotes who are looking for an easy elk calf meal. This poses more public safety risks and often results on predators getting relocated or destroyed.
Photo of a black bear taken by Candice Clarke on May 21, 2021.
VIEW CURRENT WARNINGS AND CLOSURES
Elk Calving Warning for the Town of Canmore
You may see warning signs like the one below posted in multiple areas on both sides of the valley throughout Canmore where there have been regular incidents of aggressive female elk closing distance on people. Aggressive Cow Elk have been seen along trails, in backyards, in and around parks, playgrounds, school yards and in green spaces all across town.
There are two areas that have been closed due to aggressive female elk protecting their calves:
The boardwalk trail east of Main Street
The area between Benchlands Terrace and Wapiti Close (close to Eagle Terrace)
If you are out walking ANYWHERE in Canmore you need to expect the real possibility of encountering aggressive elk. If you see any elk, immediately leave the area and DO NOT TRY TO SNEAK PAST THEM. Give them lots of space, at least 30m, choose a different route if you can’t get by with enough space, and always carry bear spray and be prepared to use it when recreating in the Town of Canmore. For more info about how to handle elk encounters click here.
There have also been several reports of urban elk calves that have been placed very close to houses and built up areas by their mothers. Please report urban elk calves to KES immediately by calling 403-591-7755. Do not get involved yourself and attempt to approach or move them as the mother elk is likely nearby and will aggressively protect her calf by kicking and charging at you if she feels threatened.
Urban elk calf in front of a garage door. Photo courtesy of Alberta Environment and Parks
SOME THINGS TO ‘BEAR’ IN MIND
Kananaskis Conservation Pass: Just a reminder that as of June 1, you will need to purchase a day, multi-day or annual Kananaskis Conservation Pass for your vehicle before you visit Kananaskis Country and the Bow Valley. Click here to learn more about how and where to purchase your pass.
Refresh your memory on how to properly use bear spray.
BEARS IN THE NEWS
A man hiking alone in Yellowstone National Park was injured during an encounter with two grizzly bears.
Following up on the recent tragic incident near Water Valley, the woman died as a result of a grizzly bear attack and the bear has been captured and will be euthanized.
Two yearling grizzly bear cubs have been orphaned following the death of their mother on the Trans-Canada Highway in Yoho National Park.
A man was seriously injured by a sow (that had two cubs) in Colorado after the bear gained access to his garage which contained bird seed and other attractants. The bear was euthanized.
Food for Thought?
Watching for Bear Signs – Broken Logs 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.
Research shows that two kinds of ants that are common here make up a good part of the early season diet of both Black and Grizzly bears. You might not think that a little ant would be of interest, and a single ant is no more interesting to a bear than to you or me. But a Red ant colony can contain hundreds of thousands of little ants, and their ground hills are obvious. Red ants also like living under dead and fallen trees. The Giant Carpenter ants that live in rotten wood in particular can have a LOT of calories in their colonies.
Bears are great at sniffing out Giant Carpenter ant colonies in rotting wood, and Red ant colonies under wood. With their claws, they’re really good at breaking that wood up, too. Other than woodpeckers, no other animal destroys trees and logs like a bear. Accordingly, any log that’s been obviously torn apart is a sign that a bear has been in the area at some point. You should look out for these logs and damaged trees. They are evidence that bears are going after those ants.
Pileated Woodpeckers like those Giant Carpenter ants, too. Sometimes, what starts as the distinctive rectangular, fist sized, close to the ground Pileated Woodpecker hole gets “enlarged” by a bear. This is what happened to the tree above and to the right. Log damage by bears especially occurs in the spring, because the ants can be readily sniffed out, and there aren’t a lot of other great food sources for a bear to pick from at that time of year.
If you see a broken-up log, you can check and see if there is evidence of claw marks. You can often tell the difference between damage done by black bears or grizzlies by looking for the size and shape of the scratch marks that broke the log or tree apart. The edge of log to the left shows fat Grizzly claw marks. You can also get a good idea of how fresh the damage is. If the bits of log pulled off look fresh, not dried out, and are sitting on TOP of nearby grasses, it’s a clue that it could be recent. If there are ants visible, it’s very recent. Bears will never get 100% of the ants, and the ones left behind will not be very happy. If the bear didn’t get the Queen, what’s left of the colony will move fairly soon.
I came home one day a few years back to find a bear had destroyed a stump in my driveway while I was gone. Sure enough – the remaining Red ants were still scurrying around trying to collect themselves. See the photo below.
Next time you see damaged trees and logs in the forest, stop and have a look. See what you can figure out about the bear’s behaviour.
AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS
Have you visited Peter Lougheed Provincial Park in the past five years? Masters student Annie Pumphrey is looking for visitor experiences, stories, and opinions about roadside bear viewing.
Please consider sharing your insights and experiences about bear viewing by completing this online survey. It should take 10-15 minutes to complete and you can be entered into a draw for stickers and a pair of binoculars, and you can ask to receive copies of results if you like.
This is part of a Masters thesis (University of Northern British Columbia) on bear viewing in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Alberta. This is an Independent study with certifications from Alberta Parks and UNBC.
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