BEAR ACTIVITY SUMMARY FOR THE BOW VALLEY
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park) For the period: June 19 to June 26, 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
There is still a large snow pack at higher elevations (especially in K-Country) which is why bears are more concentrated down low in the valleys where most of their available food is located. People are primarily using the valley bottoms (where the bears are), resulting in a large number of sightings on both sides of the Bow Valley, including in residential areas. Take home lesson: Expect to run into a bear while out on the trails! Remember to make lots of noise, keep pets on a leash, carry bear spray and be prepared to use it in case of a close encounter.
A Message to our locals: Please lead by example! Many visitors to the Bow Valley are from places that don’t have bears and other wildlife. Show them how it’s done by giving wildlife LOTS of space, by making noise, by properly securing garbage and attractants and by keeping your pets on a leash! If a visitor (or local) has a question about what you’re doing, have a friendly chat and fill them in on some of the stuff they should know about how to keep people and wildlife safe in bear country.
Black bear family (mother with three yearlings) that has been spotted recently in the Bow Valley. Photo courtesy of Alberta Environment and Parks.
Most mother elk have now had their calves and the youngsters are up and running around. Female elk will still aggressively defend their calves by kicking and charging at you if they feel threatened. The presence of calves also attracts predators such as bears, cougars, wolves and coyotes so be aware of your surroundings, even on popular and well visited trails around town and along the river. If you see a mother elk and calf stay at least 30 metres (3 school bus lengths) away and do not try to sneak past them on a trail! Stay on open trails instead of walking through dense vegetation, keep pets on a leash and carry bear spray. Bear spray has been used recently to successfully deter aggressive charging elk right here in Canmore.
A reminder to hikers, campers and all people recreating to properly secure garbage and attractants! Wildlife that gain access to these unnatural food sources can lose their natural fear of people, which increases the probability of human-wildlife conflict. These animals can cause injury to people and pets and destroy property, resulting in wildlife being relocated or destroyed. Here is an article from last year at this time of year when a black bear gained access to unsecured food!
If a garbage bin is full, take your garbage to another bin! DO NOT leave it on the ground where it is accessible for wildlife! A fed bear is a dead bear and one lazy act could cost a bear its life! If you notice any garbage left outside of bear proof bins, or garbage bins that are full around town, please report this to the Town of Canmore at 403-678-1580.
Buffaloberries will start to ripen in a few weeks and it looks like we can expect a good berry crop this year. Please be proactive and remove berry bushes from your yards NOW before you attract a bear into town. It is YOUR responsibility to make sure that unnatural attractants such as garbage, compost, greasy barbecues, bird-feeders, pet food and fruit bearing trees and shrubs are removed so that bears do not have a reason to linger in your yard, resulting in bears being relocated or destroyed.
In an effort to reduce conflict between bears and people in Canmore, the Town of Canmore is running their voluntary fruit tree removal incentive program again. Homeowners are invited to express their interest in participating in the program which will cover 50% of the cost of removal to a maximum of $300 if you use an arborist or tree removal service to remove your tree. To learn more about the program including eligible areas follow this link.
Be alert and give wildlife space! Here is a picture of a bear from 100 metres away, the MINIMUM distance that we need to keep between humans and bears!
Remember to give wildlife the space they need, which is at lest 100 metres for carnivores such as bears! That includes bears feeding roadside, elk feeding along trails, squirrels looking for food and bighorn sheep standing in the middle of the road! The safety and well-being of wildlife is far more important than you getting that perfect picture. Be sure to slow down appropriately while passing wildlife roadside but do not stop. Stay in your vehicle and keep moving to avoid putting any unwanted stress on the animals. Never feed wildlife or encourage wildlife to come closer to you or your vehicle! That includes smaller animals such as squirrels when you are out having your picnic!
CURRENT WARNINGS AND CLOSURES
Bear Closure: Lower Lake Day Use Area and bike trail from Kananaskis Lakes Trail to Lower Lake Campground due to a grizzly bear with cubs in the area.
Bear Warning: Lower Lake Campground due to grizzly bears feeding in the area.
Bear Warning: Middle Lake Day Use Area and trail system due to multiple sightings of black bears and a grizzly with cubs in the Middle Lake area.
Bear Closure: Burstall Pass Day Use and Surrounding Area (including Mud Lake) due to a grizzly bear feeding on a carcass at Mud Lake.
Bear Warning: Elbow Valley Trail between Ing's Mine and Sulphur Springs Trail due to a grizzly bear in the area.
Bear Warning: Jura Creek Trail (near Exshaw) due to a group of hikers that were bluff charged by a black bear.
Elk Warning: You may see warning signs like the one below posted in areas around Canmore where there have been regular incidents of aggressive female elk closing distance on people.
Click here for current information from Alberta Parks about visiting their parks during COVID-19. A complete list of all warnings and closures is available here for Alberta Parks in the Bow Valley and Kananaskis Country.
Click here for current information from Parks Canada about visiting their parks during COVID-19. 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.
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!
AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS
2019 was an incredibly busy year for WildSmart and the Biosphere Institute. Last year, Wildlife Ambassadors contributed an incredible 877 hours towards engaging the public in conversations about their role in human-wildlife coexistence and had a staggering 7438 conversations with the public. Furthermore we nearly doubled the number of participants from 2018 in our wildlife safety workshops (2618 people in 2019, up from 1419 in 2018) and bear spray trainings (2168 people in 2019, up from 1281). All this is on top of launching a new website, hosting Italian Masters student Francesco Del Greco, publishing the weekly bear report, conducting outreach with news outlets and having fun while doing it!
We are super excited about what’s to come in the second half of 2020 and beyond! Read more about our impact in our 2019 annual report 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