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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.
BEAR ACTIVITY SUMMARY
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park) For the period: May 7 to May 14, 2021
This past week there have been several more bear sightings throughout the Bow Valley and several female bears with cubs (grizzly and black) have been seen moving around the Bow and Kananaskis Valleys looking for food, often roadside.
Bear 152 (a 10-year-old female grizzly bear with two 2-year-old cubs) was hit by a vehicle yesterday along the Highway 40 corridor. She appears to be injured but is moving well and has covered over 5km since yesterday.
Elk calving season has started (May-June) which means there is an increased risk of potential negative encounters with wildlife. Mother elk can become very defensive and will aggressively protect their calves by kicking or charging if they feel threatened. The best way to keep them at ease is to stay at least 30m away - which is three school bus lengths.
Make sure to give mother bears, elk and their young lots of space as they are particularly protective of their babies!
VIEW CURRENT WARNINGS AND CLOSURES
Bear 152 with her two cubs (taken last summer). Photo courtesy of Susan Minifie
SOME THINGS TO ‘BEAR’ IN MIND
The green ditches and dandelions along the highways are drawing all kinds of wildlife roadside looking for that springtime food. We ALL need to drive responsibly and constantly scan for wildlife feeding roadside. We ALL need to do the following to avoid injuring or killing bears such as Bear 152, the female grizzly bear who may not be able to care for and protect her own cubs after being hit by a vehicle:
OBEY SPEED LIMITS
OBEY “NO STOPPING SIGNS”
SLOW DOWN IF YOU SEE WILDLIFE BY THE ROAD
DO NOT STOP TO VIEW WILDLIFE
AVOID CAUSING BEAR JAMS THAT CAUSE UNNECESSARY STRESS AND UNSAFE CONDITONS FOR BEARS
Photo by Misha Mustaqeem
Kananaskis Conservation Pass: Starting June 1st, all vehicles stopping in Kananaskis Country and provincial sites in the Bow Valley Corridor will need to purchase a Kananaskis Conservation Pass.
Elk Calving Season (May-June): 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. Carry bear spray, keep your pets on a leash and leave at least 30 metres of space between yourself and all elk.
How to avoid close encounters with wildlife.
How to properly use bear spray.
BEARS IN THE NEWS
Updated article about the former Canmore resident who was killed in a fatal bear attack near Waiparous Creek on May 4th.
Parks Canada has added more electrified fencing to discourage bears from climbing the fence and getting onto the Trans-Canada Highway in Banff National Park.
Lots of great information to remember and think about when heading outdoors to help keep people and wildlife safe!
FOOD FOR THOUGHT?
Residents need to take some responsibility in the management of bears in their area by ensuring unnatural food sources that bears might be interested in are secure (for example: bird feeders, garbage, pet food, greasy bbq’s). Find out more in this article.
Some more great tips from Wildlife Ambassador Karen!
AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS
This video does an excellent job of vocalizing what it can be like to be a parent, specifically a mother. It is hard work taking care of four cubs for a mother bear and if you add to that cars speeding and people stopping to take pictures and stressing them out, it makes it even harder.
In honour of Mother’s Day, hopefully this video puts a smile on your face and makes you think about how hard it is for mother bears to keep themselves and their cubs safe in this dangerous world. It is pawsitive to see these cars waiting patiently while she struggles to get her cubs across safely.
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