BEAR ACTIVITY SUMMARY FOR THE BOW VALLEY
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park) For the period: July 24 to July 31, 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
The bears are in the buffaloberries! There have been several sightings of bears (including some encounters) along trails and in day use areas in the Bow Valley and K-Country as the bears find the ripe berries. Be prepared and on the lookout for bears while you recreate, as many berry bushes are found along popular trails as is evidenced by the recent bear warning at the Canmore Nordic Centre due to numerous reports of black bears feeding on buffaloberries (Shepherdia) next to trails and other facilities. Making lots of noise is the best way to alert them of your presence and it gives them time to clear the area. Garbage left at trail-heads and day use areas has also been a concern and a reminder to make sure that garbage finds its way to a bear proof bin or if the garbage bin is full find another bin or pack your garbage out with you, and that includes human waste and diapers!
We are in berry season and berry bushes are often found along trails, roads and campgrounds. Bears will be very focused on eating berries, so it is especially important to remember to make lots of noise to alert them of your presence. When bears are surprised they can respond defensively as they may feel threatened. To reduce the risk of bear encounters:
Travel in groups (ideally four or more people)
Be aware of your surroundings and have good situational awareness (look and listen for wildlife and their signs, i.e. tracks and scat). Trail runners and bikers need to be extra loud when travelling quickly and in areas where sight-lines are limited. Avoid wearing earbuds, and slow down, especially around blind corners.
Keep dogs on-leash and remember to pick up after your dogs as their feces can act as an attractant for bears.
Ensure that all food, garbage or items that have a scent are properly secured as they may attract wildlife.
Carry bear spray in an easily accessible location and know how to use it. Bear spray has also been shown to be effective at deterring other wildlife such as cougars, wolves, coyotes and elk, and it should even be carried while using well-traveled trails, including the trails in and around town.
Shepherdia canadensis, more commonly known as Buffaloberry
Bear scat can be an indication of bear activity in the area. During berry season bear scat looks a lot like strawberry jam! Keep an eye out for it on the trails and do not linger in areas with fresh scat. If you do stumble upon some fresh scat out on the trails, remember to be extra vigilant, make extra noise to alert potential bears of your presence, and consider turning around if you are not prepared to handle a possible encounter with a bear.
A trail of bear scat during berry season!
A positive, proactive step that you can take is to remove unripe fruit (such as crabapple, mountain ash and chokecherry) from your trees NOW before you have a bear in your tree. Leaving fruit in your trees can attract bears into residential areas, putting bears and people at risk. It is YOUR responsibility to make sure that bears do not have a reason to linger in your yard, which can result in bears paying the price for our poor attractant management by getting relocated or destroyed.
An example of some unripe mountain ash fruit ready to be removed!
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!
CURRENT WARNINGS AND CLOSURES
Click here for the complete list of all Alberta Parks warnings and closures in the Bow Valley and Kananaskis Country.
Click here for the complete list of all warnings and closures in Banff National Park.
Here is a list of some Annual Closures in Kananaskis Country.
Click here for current information from Alberta Parks about visiting their parks during COVID-19. Click here for current information from Parks Canada about visiting their parks during COVID-19.
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
This video was actually made last summer with some of the local children participating in the Town of Canmore’s Big Fun Camps and was part of a series of workshops that taught them about wildlife safety, coexistence, and how difficult it can be for a bear trying to survive in the Bow Valley. Some of the children shared a few words about what we can do as users of this landscape to prevent negative human-wildlife interactions! Now more than ever we need to better educate residents and the many visitors about keeping wildlife safe by spreading their simple and very important messages.
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