BEAR ACTIVITY SUMMARY FOR THE BOW VALLEY
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park) For the period: August 21 to August 28, 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.
WildSmart needs your help!
You may have noticed that the trails and day use areas in the Bow Valley and Kananaskis Country have been unusually busy this year. WildSmart is working hard to expand and refine our education programs, with the goal of helping as many people as possible to understand their role in promoting human-wildlife coexistence. The WildSmart Program relies entirely on charitable donations and sponsors - please support our efforts by donating today!
SUMMARY
Bears continue to be seen throughout the Bow Valley and K-Country actively searching for and feeding on berries. This time of year is very important for bears as they need to consume as many calories as possible in order to survive the upcoming winter hibernation. As such we need to be proactive and do our part to give them the space they need to feed undisturbed. Residents and visitors can reduce the risk of surprise encounters by making lots of noise to alert bears (who are very focused on eating) of their presence, travelling in groups, keeping pets on a leash (unless in a designated off-leash area) and avoiding areas where bears have been seen or where active warnings have been put in place!
A grizzly bear enjoying some buffaloberries. Photo courtesy of Pat Kamenka
Two YOY (young of year) black bear cubs were killed by a vehicle this morning on the Trans Canada Highway (TCH) near Bow Valley PP. Motorists are reminded to obey posted speed limits and watch for roadside wildlife. If you see one animal be prepared to see more so slow down accordingly but do not stop and create (or be part of) a bear jam on the highway. Keep moving to give bears the space they need to feed and to help combat roadside habituation of wildlife.
It is also essential for people to “Know before you go” when heading out into bear country. This includes:
Looking online at where the bear warnings and closures are and planning accordingly; avoiding these areas can also reduce your risks of encounters.
Trail users need to be in the mindset that they WILL encounter bears and other wildlife and should educate themselves on how to properly handle these encounters before they head out on the trail (An excellent example of this would be to remember not to run away when encountering a bear in the wild). We even made this short video about how to handle (and avoid) bear encounters to help with this mental preparation.
Knowing how to properly use bear spray and carrying it in an easily accessible location so that it can be used quickly and effectively in case of accidental close encounters. Check out this short video about how to properly use bear spray if you need some help with this and note that it is available with subtitles in 10 languages!
Bears are not the only wildlife you can expect to see out on the trails as several elk have been seen in and around Canmore. The elk rutting season has started and will last until mid-October. Male elk are particularly protective of the female elk they are with. Give plenty of space to ALL elk (at least 30 metres or 3 bus lengths), never get between a male elk and the female elk, be sure to keep pets on-leash and if an elk charges, place a large object (e.g. car, large tree) between you and the elk. Remember to carry bear spray in an easily accessible location, even along the well-travelled trails near town, as bear spray has also been shown to be effective at deterring other wildlife such as elk, cougars, wolves and coyotes. Never approach elk to take pictures up close as they are wild animals that need their space and they can react unpredictably!
Bull Elk in Canmore. Photo by Derek Ryder
Garbage continues to be a significant concern with people leaving trash along trails and in day-use areas. It is YOUR responsibility to make sure that your waste finds its way into a bear proof bin or, if the garbage bin is full, find another bin or pack your garbage out with you!
Berry bushes and fruit trees are the main attractants drawing bears into residential areas, and a great positive, proactive step that you can take is to remove these attractants from your yard NOW before you have a bear in your tree. Leaving fruit (such as crabapple, mountain ash, chokecherry and dogwood) in your trees can attract bears into residential areas, putting bears and people at risk.
If you are renting or live in a condo complex, please contact your landlord or condo board/association and notify them if there are trees with fruits and berries on the property so they can arrange to either remove the trees or ensure the fruit is removed. If you can’t reach that fruit up in the tree, no problem! We have pruning shears and extendable fruit pickers that can be borrowed free of charge to allow Bow Valley residents to remove fruit and berries from their trees. Please send an email to info@wildsmart.ca to make arrangements to borrow the fruit picking equipment.
These are common fruits/berries that attract bears into residential areas (pictured clockwise from top left); Chokecherry, Crabapples, Dogwood and Mountain Ash.
In a continued effort to reduce conflict between bears and people in Canmore, the Town of Canmore has a wildlife attractant bylaw, and they are running a Voluntary Fruit Tree Removal Incentive Program to help increase compliance. People can be fined for letting fruit and berries accumulate on trees and the ground in their yards. Click here to view and download the bylaw. 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 they use an arborist or tree removal service to remove their tree. More information and details about how to participate can be found here on their website.
CURRENT WARNINGS AND CLOSURES
There is a bear warning in the area along the Powerline Trail between Peaks of Grassi and the Quarry Lake off-leash dog pond due to a surprise close range encounter that a group of four people had with a black bear last week. The bear was likely startled while feeding on berries.
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
For those who live in Calgary, please spread the word about these new secure bear spray disposal bins at six Calgary Fire Hall locations! This is a great way to ensure that expired bear spray cans do not get into the hands of the wrong people.
Have you explored Alberta Parks’ Nature Source yet? Check out their Nature Moments Photo Album full of photos and videos (like the one below) that showcase wildlife in the parks through the seasons. View the album here and be sure to check back regularly as they will update the album throughout the year.
Black bear taking a dip in the river! Photo courtesy of Kananaskis Public Safety - Alberta Parks
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