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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: (Oct.8-15, 2021)
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park)
The trails in the Bow Valley and Kananaskis Country continue to be busy with people but with fairly warm temperatures ahead, people should be expecting to see bears (both black and grizzly) and bear signs. It is important to be prepared before leaving the house and that includes checking for trail warnings and closures, planning to travel in a group, leaving pets at home if you are not able to keep them on a leash, and bringing bear spray and knowing how to use it. In case of those surprise encounters, people should be able to deploy their bear spray in under 3 seconds. Be extra alert on the trails and if you see fresh signs of bears (i.e. scat, tracks), consider turning around to give the bears space.
There continues to be bear activity in and around the Town of Canmore and the MD of Bighorn hamlets as bears are being drawn into residential areas by people allowing fruit to accumulate on trees and on the ground in their yards. Bears in backyards puts people AND bears at risk! They can cause injury to people and pets and even destroy property, resulting in bears being relocated or destroyed. Relocated bears generally have a low chance of survival, but moving a bear in the fall is especially difficult for the bear. Please do your part in keeping wildlife WILD and outside of residential areas by removing attractants such as fruit (both on trees and on the ground), grease on barbecues, pet food and garbage from your yard. Be proactive and remove these attractants - you could save a life!
Grizzly bear family crossing the road down in K-Country. Photo courtesy of Misha Mustaqeem.
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. Parents need to 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.
Male elk are particularly protective of any female elk they are with, and may become aggressive towards anything that comes too close. Never get between a male elk and the female elk and keep pets on a leash. More information about elk encounters here.
Never try to sneak past elk as they are wild animals that need their space and can react unpredictably!
It is hunting season! Please be aware of your surroundings and stay clear of dead animals. Hunters should always carry and use bear spray as the first line of defense, even if they are carrying a gun.
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.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT?
Halloween is around the corner and with that, pumpkins are starting to make an appearance. Please be proactive and remember to keep pumpkins inside of windows and NOT 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 are a wildlife attractant to all sorts of animals, not just bears.
Keep your doorstep bear free by placing pumpkins inside windows
WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS
Two more black bears are being actively trapped to be relocated out of Canmore.
A black bear entered a house in Fort McMurray.
A bear and cub were spotted in southwest Calgary this past week.
WildSmart spoke with CBC Calgary this week about the bears spotted in Calgary. The segment starts at 9:02 in the video.
A woman was jailed for getting too close to a grizzly bear in Yellowstone National Park.
Read about how the new Kananaskis Conservation Pass has raised almost $10 million so far and how some of this revenue will be used.
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.
The bears in our area don’t get this big, but for bears, the fatter the better!
AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS
The results are in and the crowned champion of Fat Bear Week 2021 is Otis (#480)! This four-time champion possessing excellent angling skills is estimated to weigh over 1,000 pounds (500 kg). To put this into perspective, the largest grizzly bear in our area, The Boss, weighs around 600 pounds, making him almost half the size of 480! You can view the results and meet all the contenders by clicking here.
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