Did you know that WildSmart is a program of the Biosphere Institute, a local charity? Our work relies entirely on donations and sponsors. If you would like to support our community-based efforts to promote human-wildlife coexistence, please donate!
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.22-29, 2021)
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park)
It was a quiet week for bears in the Bow Valley and the colder weather and snow will likely speed up the process of bears heading into their dens. That being said, bears are still out and actively searching for those important final calories so people need to be thinking about bears and expecting encounters when out recreating. Bears are opportunistic feeders and will eat anything that is available to them, so please make sure your yard is free of all potential attractants that bears and other wildlife might try to eat! These attractants include fruit (both on trees and on the ground), PUMPKINS, pet food, bird feeders, garbage and greasy barbecues.
You can help keep bears and other wildlife out of trouble by keeping your pumpkins indoors! It is a very simple act that can keep yourself and your neighbourhood safe!
Photo courtesy of Alberta Environment and Parks
Large herds of elk continue to be seen throughout town which means you have to be vigilant and you may have to choose an alternate route while out for a walk/run/ride. Give elk lots of space, at least 30m or 3 school bus lengths, and never try to sneak past them. Never get between a male elk and the female elk and keep pets on a leash.
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.
SOME THINGS TO ‘BEAR’ IN MIND
This is a good time to remind people to carry bear spray year round while recreating and training at the Canmore Nordic Centre, throughout the Bow Valley, and K-Country. Every time you head out on the trails you need to be vigilant and mentally prepared for possible encounters with wildlife! It is also safer to hike, bike, run, or ski in a group. Make lots of noise when out on the trails, and avoid recreating at dusk, dawn or at night which is when cougars and other wildlife are most active. Be aware of your surroundings by periodically checking behind you to make sure there are no animals following you and by not wearing earbuds/headphones, which will limit your ability to hear approaching wildlife.
Congrats to WildSmart’s friend Sarah Elmeligi on a recent research paper that was published titled “Visitor attitudes and expectations of grizzly bear management in the Canadian Rocky Mountain National Parks”. Overall, trail users were supportive of closing a trail when a bear was in the area and generally opposed to aversive conditioning. Yet in reality, aversive condition is typically applied first and a trail is closed as a last resort. Their results suggest that a trail closure could be applied much sooner, if managers deem it necessary for bear or public safety, and differences were observed between demographic groups, particularly between residents and visitors. The full article can be found by clicking the button below.
WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS
Here are some reasons why you should not keep your pumpkins outside on your doorstep.
This article from Montana sounds eerily similar to what we deal with in Southern Alberta.
A person was attacked by a grizzly bear near Whitehorse in a defensive encounter.
Imagine coming downstairs to find a bear in your kitchen!
A deer hunter up in a tree was bitten in the back by a black bear.
A cyclist in Alaska fends off a 500 lb. grizzly bear.
An 80 year old man wins a bravery award for fighting off a black bear that broke into his cottage.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT?
Halloween is a couple of days away and there are many pumpkins outside on doorsteps. Please be proactive to help keep your children, and the children in your neighbourhood safe by placing pumpkins inside of windows and not on your doorstep. Pumpkins are a wildlife attractant to all sorts of animals, not just bears, and we all need to do our best to avoid attracting wildlife into residential areas. Pumpkins placed inside windows can still be enjoyed by trick-or-treaters, but you won’t end up with a nasty fright if a bear shows up on your doorstep. If you must put pumpkins outside on Halloween, make sure that you take them inside before going to bed.
Pumpkins placed inside your windows can still be enjoyed by trick-or-treaters!
After Halloween, please dispose of your pumpkins properly and do not leave them outside inviting them to get smashed up by pranksters or eaten by wildlife. You don’t want to attract a visitor to your door the day after Halloween like in this video. In Canmore, pumpkins should be disposed of in the bear-proof Community Food Waste Containers. Remember to remove candles and other non organic decorations!
CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES
The Biosphere Institute is seeking a Program Associate to cover one year of maternity leave. Closing date is Oct.31 and you can click on the image below for more info.
AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS
Maryn, one of our amazing Volunteer Wildlife Ambassadors, was recently featured in an article on page 49 of 51 degree North Magazine. “Our goal is to make a small difference in the way people interact with the environment, while remembering that most of us didn’t know any better when we first started recreating here”. Well said Maryn and thanks also to all the Wildlife Ambassadors for their dedication, enthusiasm and energy!
Article is from the Fall/Winter 21/22 edition of the 51 degrees North Magazine.
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