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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 (Sep.17-24, 2021)
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park)
Numerous black bears are being seen on both sides of the valley, feeding on fruit trees in residential areas. They have also been seen near recycling bins, along many of the trail systems in town, and sleeping in backyards, so the probability of running into a bear in Canmore is high at the moment.
Bears that gain access to these food sources (i.e. fruit, berries, bird feeders, garbage, pet food and greasy BBQ’s) can lose their natural fear of people, which increases the possibility of human-wildlife conflict. These bears can cause injury to people and pets, or destroy property, resulting in bears being relocated or destroyed. Relocated bears generally have a fairly low chance of survival, but moving a bear in the fall is especially difficult.
Black bear napping in a backyard in the Larch Area last weekend. Photo taken from inside the house courtesy of Derrick Nolan.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP KEEP BEARS AND PEOPLE SAFE?
Parents: Please remind your kids to be bear aware on their way to school and to give wildlife lots of space, never try to sneak past them, travel in groups and make lots of noise!
If you have a bear feeding in your fruit tree or yard, please call KES at 403-591-7755 immediately. Do not start yelling at the bear as the bear might come out of the tree and charge at you. This happened to a resident and the bear closed distance on the man forcing him to deploy his bear spray at close range. The bear may also start running carelessly through residential areas and backyards making poor choices which poses a public safety risk for unsuspecting neighbours and people passing nearby.
Please ensure garbage and recycling bins are properly latched closed.
Be proactive and remove the fruit from your trees (including other attractants such as garbage, pet food, bird feeders and greasy bbq’s) to avoid drawing hungry bears into town.
These warning signs have been posted across town to remind residents and visitors that bears are active in the area and to remove the fruit from trees and yards.
With elk rutting season in full swing, you may hear some loud bugling! Male elk are particularly protective of the female elk they are with and may become aggressive towards anything that comes too close, even trucks (see the picture below and read this article from 2018). Give plenty of space to ALL ELK (at least 30 metres or 3 bus lengths), never get between a male elk and the female elk and keep pets on a leash. If an elk charges (usually because you are much too close), be prepared to use your bear spray. Try to move behind a large object (e.g. car, large tree) and keep the object between you and the elk. Never approach elk to take pictures up close as they are wild animals that need their space and can react unpredictably!
Four holes made by a charging bull elk when this truck was stopped at a traffic light in Jasper National Park (2018). Photo courtesy of Parks Canada
Elk frequently hang out 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 should 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.
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
Larch Viewing: This is the time of year to head up into the alpine looking for larches, but be aware that grizzly bears are up there at this time of year too! There are a couple of things that grizzlies chow down on up in the alpine before they go to bed, and almost all of them are dug up such as ground squirrels, roots and bulbs. So keep an eye out for grizzly bear digs on your larch explorations.
Here are a few responsible behaviours that larch seekers should remember while out on the trails during the fall season:
Always stay on designated trails. There are literally thousands of people out on the trails on the weekends and the alpine environment up there is very fragile.
Wear the proper footwear so you’re not grabbing onto trees.
Leave No Trace and pack out what you pack in.
Make lots of noise to avoid surprising wildlife and carry bear spray on your person.
It is advised to keep pets on a leash or consider leaving them at home when hiking in alpine environments to avoid any potentially dangerous encounters with grizzly bears. (There was a recent unconfirmed report of a grizzly bear bluff charging a group of hikers with off-leash dogs up in the alpine.)
Wildlife Ambassador Derek has some great reminders about being respectful of the wildlife who call this area their home.
Wildlife Ambassador Karen is back to talk to you about grizzly bear claws and their digs.
WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS
Conservation officers shot and killed a black bear in Lynn Valley B.C. after it developed a taste for local garbage and became a risk to the public.
Wildlife specialists sound alarm on black bear encounters in Canmore!
FOOD FOR THOUGHT?
It seems like Mountain Ash is the fruit tree that several black bears have been feeding on lately. Removing the fruit from your trees has been discussed many times for the past few weeks but many residents still seem to either not care or they do not realize the importance of removing the fruit from their trees. Put simply, removing the fruit from your trees could save a bear’s life and could prevent people from getting injured.
An example of a Mountain Ash tree in Canmore.
If the barrier to you being able to remove your fruit is not having the right equipment, look no further! We have extendable fruit pickers and extendable pole saw pruners that can be borrowed free of charge (donations are welcome). Please send an email to resource@biosphereinstitute.org to make arrangements to borrow the fruit picking equipment.
In a continued effort to reduce conflict between bears and people in Canmore, the Town of Canmore has a wildlife attractant bylaw, and they are running a Voluntary Fruit Tree Removal Incentive Program to help increase compliance. You can learn more about both of these initiatives on their website here.
CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES
The Biosphere Institute is seeking an Executive Director and new Board members. Click on the appropriate button below for more info.
AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS
We hope you will join us at Quarry Lake this Sunday Sep.26th from 1–4:00pm. for the Love Your Lake Community Cleanup.
Learn how to keep people and wildlife safe through simple actions such as keeping dogs on-leash, staying on designated trails, carrying bear spray and managing attractants in your backyard. Dog walkers can come and test their quick draw skills at our dog on-leash timed bear spray challenge (with inert bear spray). For full event details click here.
Although it is not necessarily pawsitive news, this video of a bear fight is pretty cool to see. Enjoy!
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