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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 UPDATE
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park)
There have been reports of both types of bears and their tracks out on the landscape. A black bear was seen in the Bow Valley near the 1A and a grizzly bear was seen in Banff National Park (see News section below). It is that time of year when bears will start to emerge from their dens, and since we will all be sharing the valley bottoms for the next few months, there is an increased chance of encountering wildlife, and you need to be properly prepared!
A cougar was recently seen in the Three Sisters dog park area on Wednesday morning. It was calm and walked away as the person and dog backed away slowly. The person was carrying bear spray and reported the cougar sighting to authorities, two very positive actions!
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
It is time to start thinking about bears being out on the landscape again. Click here for some tips on recreating with wildlife in mind.
Another great way to get ready for the hiking, camping, biking and running season ahead is to attend RecSafe with Wildlife’s FREE 30-minute Get Ready for Bear Season Refresher Class on Zoom on Tuesday, April 5th at 7 pm MST. Click here for more info and to register.
In case you missed it, Town of Canmore Mayor Sean Krausert shared some important things to consider about how to Live with Wildlife in the Bow Valley. For those who are not on social media, here are the main points:
👉 Off-leash Dogs
Dogs are welcome residents of the Bow Valley, but unrestrained dogs can cause stress for wildlife. Off-leash dogs can trigger aggressive behavior in bears, coyotes, cougars, and elk.
✅ Use a leash at all times, unless you are at one of Canmore’s five off-leash dog parks,
✅ Never leave dog food unattended, it is an animal attractant.
👉Managing Waste
Canmore has bear-proof waste bins to protect both humans and wildlife, but they are made useless if we fail to put garbage inside securely. Household waste can attract carnivores into town, even furniture and appliances have food aromas that can attract large animals. Carnivores who learn to find food in town put humans and pets at risk.
✅ Dispose of garbage, recycling, and compost in the appropriate bin. Learn more here.
✅ The Town of Canmore will pick up large household items for free, please do not leave them sitting beside a garbage bin. You can access this service by calling 403.678.1580.
👉 Fruit Trees
Fruit trees and shrubs have become even more attractive to bears as we've gotten better at removing access to garbage and food waste. When they learn where to get food, they’ll continue returning, getting bolder and more aggressive.
✅ If you have a fruit tree, consider having it replaced with a wildlife-friendly alternative. Learn more about the Town of Canmore’s fruit tree replacement program.
✅ Bears are interested in ripening fruit on trees, fruit needs to be removed from the whole tree.
👉 Bird Feeders
Bird feeders may seem like an innocent addition to your yard, but remember they attract bears, and coyotes. Bird feeders are illegal in Canmore from April 1 to November 30.
✅ If you have a bird feeder, remove it, and dispose of the birdfeed safely.
👉 Wildlife Corridors
It's important that we stay out of wildlife corridors in order for them to be effective. Let's recreate elsewhere and leave the designated corridors to the animals.
WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS
Grizzly bears emerging from winter dens in Banff National Park.
Read about an off-leash dog that was nearly killed by a cougar in B.C.
According to new research recently published in the academic journal Arctic, grizzly bear sightings have increased in the past four decades in Northern Manitoba.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT?
Please help try to keep bears and other wildlife out of trouble by taking your bird feeders down for the season and cleaning up the ground underneath! The Town of Canmore Wildlife Attractant Bylaw only allows bird feeders to be hung from December 1 to March 31. Click here for details.
AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS
We are hosting another Virtual Bear Week from April 9-16 to welcome bears back on the landscape for another year and to remind everyone that it is time once again to be bear aware! We will be sharing a variety of bear related resources daily to raise people’s awareness that bears are back on the landscape, pique people’s interest about bears and to reinforce safety while recreating in bear country. These online resources, such as videos, articles, presentations, photos, stories and more, will be shared on the event page on our website, and on social media via Facebook and Instagram.
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