BEAR ACTIVITY SUMMARY FOR THE BOW VALLEY
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park) For the period: May 15 to May 22, 2020
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.
SUMMARY
Last weekend was busy in the Bow Valley so it is not surprising that there was an increase in the number of reports of black bears around town and on trails on both sides of the valley and in the MD of Bighorn hamlets. Some family groups of black bears have also been spotted in the Bow Valley so be extra vigilant and make sure to give these mothers and their young lots of space as they are particularly protective of their young cubs!
Two more elk carcasses were found within town limits over the past week and people need to be aware that they may bump into carcasses while out on the trails. Please report carcasses to KES immediately (403-591-7755) and give them a wide berth due to the potential presence of predators and scavengers nearby!
Elk have been spotted all over town and with elk calving season upon us (May-June) this can be a high-risk time of year for potential negative encounters with wildlife! People need to be extra vigilant of mother elk that will be hiding their calves in dense vegetation near parks, fields and trails. Mother elk can become very defensive and will aggressively protect their calves by kicking and charging at you if they feel threatened. The presence of newborn calves can also attract predators such as bears, cougars, wolves and coyotes into town who are looking for an easy meal. This increases the chance that people visiting these areas may encounter predators who are either feeding on or searching for calves. Stay on open trails instead of walking through dense vegetation, carry bear spray and leave at least 30 metres of space between yourself and elk! Elk calving season can be a very dangerous time for off-leash dogs as mother elk will aggressively protect their young by kicking and stomping at threatening dogs with their sharp hooves. If you care about the safety of your dog and the wildlife, please keep your pets on a leash!
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!
Giving wildlife space does not just mean actively keeping your physical distance from wildlife, it also involves the things you can do (at home, on the trails and roadside) to keep wildlife WILD and away from humans and residential areas where they can get into trouble.
At home:
Keep your yard free of wildlife attractants such as garbage, recycling, bird feeders, pet food and fruit bearing trees and shrubs. In Trail B.C., a black bear recently got trapped in a car after it followed its nose to access the garbage that was left in the trunk. The bear managed to open the unlocked car door and climb inside but then got stuck when the door swung shut. As a result the bear was trapped inside and destroyed the interior of the car. Bears that gain access to these food sources can lose their natural fear of people, which increases the possibility of human-wildlife conflict. As you can see, these bears can cause injury to people and pets and destroy property, resulting in bears being relocated or destroyed.
On the trail:
Make lots of noise to alert animals of your presence! This is even more important for trail runners and mountain bikers who move quickly along the trails. Use your voice by yelling to let wildlife know you are coming down the trail, especially around blind corners, at the tops of hills, or in areas with thick vegetation and poor sight lines.
Be aware of your surroundings and look and listen for signs of wildlife such as scat, tracks and diggings, even on well-traveled trails in and around town. At this time of year bears may be drawn into town by elk and deer calves, green grass, sprouting dandelions and other emerging plants and improperly managed attractants (as mentioned above). It is therefore important for you to carry bear spray and be prepared to use it (even on trails in town) and not to wear earbuds/headphones as they may prevent you from hearing wildlife warning sounds.
Evidence of fresh bear activity (diggings) close to town on May 18, 2020. Photo by Gian-Duri Giger, Volunteer Wildlife Ambassador
Stay out of closed areas and trails! They are there for your safety and to give wildlife space!
Pack out what you pack in and leave no trace behind when you are out on the trails. That includes food waste, garbage, diapers, toilet paper and human waste! All of these things have a scent and may attract wildlife which increases the potential for human-wildlife conflicts. Bring hand sanitizer, toilet paper, gloves and extra garbage bags as it is YOUR responsibility to clean up after yourself.
Keep your pets on a leash! People need to mindful about the consequences of their actions and off-leash dogs don't just pose a risk to wildlife, they put themselves, their owners and others nearby at risk too! Ungulates such as deer and elk who may be weak and on the verge of dying after a long winter, could indirectly be killed if chased by an off-leash dog as they are robbing them of their last energy reserves, making them more susceptible to predation.
Photo by Gian-Duri Giger, Volunteer Wildlife Ambassador
Roadside:
The ditches will be greening up along the highways in the Bow Valley very shortly (especially after all this rain) and that is going to draw all kinds of wildlife (some with their new babies) into the ditches looking for green grass. We see a high mortality rate of wildlife from vehicles in the Bow Valley so motorists need to obey speed limits and constantly scan for wildlife feeding in the ditches along roadways. Please drive with extra caution and slow down when passing by animals along the side of the road!
Lone grizzly bear roadside on May 18, 2020.
If you must stop on roadways to view wildlife, make sure it is done in a safe manner. Take your picture from a distance and move on. Do not linger at the location and NEVER exit your vehicle to take a picture. NEVER feed wildlife or encourage wildlife to come closer to your vehicle.
CURRENT WARNINGS AND CLOSURES
Alberta’s Provincial Parks are open to vehicle access, however many facilities in provincial parks including toilets and garbage pickup remain closed at this time. A complete list of all warnings and closures is available here for Alberta Parks in the Bow Valley and Kananaskis Country.
Parks Canada’s Parks are closed to vehicle access until further notice. A complete list of all warnings and closures is available here for Banff National Park.
Here is a list of some Annual Closures in Kananaskis Country.
For more information on areas in the Bow Valley frequented by bears at this time of year visit our human-bear conflict summary map.
AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS
We are very excited to announce that we have a new Instagram account (@bvwildsmart) which will be managed by Maryn Simrak, one of our amazing Volunteer Wildlife Ambassadors! Since the Wildlife Ambassadors are not able to have in-person conversations with you out on the trails and at community events these days due to COVID-19, they will be using Instagram to share their stories, safety messages and pictures with you in hopes of keeping you SAFE and the wildlife WILD! We invite you to follow them on Instagram and help grow our WildSmart Community!
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