BEAR ACTIVITY SUMMARY FOR THE BOW VALLEY
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park) For the period: September 4 to September 11, 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
Berries are still hanging in there and there continue to be lots of bear sightings throughout the Bow Valley and K-Country. Food is still constantly on a bear’s mind and they will be very focused on eating as much food as possible in advance of their upcoming winter hibernation.
It is our responsibility to give them the space they need to feed undisturbed, so please stay out of closed areas and avoid areas where bears have been seen or where active warnings are in place! You can also do your part by making lots of noise to alert bears of your presence, travelling in groups, keeping pets on a leash and being aware of your surroundings by not wearing earbuds or headphones.
Grizzly bear with two cubs in K-Country. Photo by Susan Minifie
The elk rutting season has begun so male elk are particularly protective of the female elk they are with. Elk frequently hang out in wide open fields such as school yards and playing fields around town. An idea for parents: have a conversation with your children about giving wildlife lots of space and calmly leaving the area if they see elk or other wildlife. 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, keep pets on a leash and if an elk charges, place a large object (e.g. car, large tree) between you and the elk.
With buffaloberry season coming to an end in the next few weeks, bears will be searching for other food sources and fruit trees will be the main attractants drawing bears into residential and developed areas in town, which brings wildlife and humans close together and creates a concern for public and wildlife safety. The best practice is to remove fruit bearing trees and shrubs from your yard, however if you decide to keep your fruit bearing trees and shrubs, please ensure that the fruit is removed. Click here for more information about fruit trees and bears.
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. If you are not sure what to do with the crabapples, you can use them to make delicious jams, jellies and baked goods and liqueurs!
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.
Our food is not their food; and on that note this an appropriate time to showcase one of the seven new WildSmart face masks that are available at Ruckusdesign! The squirrel mask (shown below) highlights that we should never feed wildlife! That includes indirectly feeding them by having fruit on the trees or ground in your backyard. Bears that gain access to these food sources can lose their natural fear of people, which increases the possibility of human-wildlife conflict, resulting in bears being relocated or destroyed. A portion of the sale of each mask will be donated to WildSmart so this is your chance to be safe, help improve human-wildlife coexistence and support WildSmart all at the same time! The masks cost $20 each, or $15 each if you buy 3 or more. Keep wildlife wild and people safe by spreading the message - get your mask now by clicking here!
Hunting season has started. Please be aware of your surroundings and stay clear of dead animals. Hunters should always carry and use bear spray as the first line of defense, even if they are carrying a gun.
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
With all the beautiful weather we have been having, our Volunteer Wildlife Ambassadors have been busy chatting with thousands of residents and visitors out on the trails and in day use areas in the Bow Valley and Kananaskis Country. Have you seen them at a trail-head this summer? If you do, be sure to stop and say 👋🏽! They love to meet new people and chat about wildlife and how you can be a responsible trail user. You might even catch a glimpse of them wearing our awesome new WildSmart masks, which you can buy here!
You can see Sandy, Judy, Coral and Ginger (one of our four-legged Ambassadors) below in action at a sunny Barrier Lake. Thanks and keep up the great work Ambassadors!
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