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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: April 23 to April 30, 2021
Bear sightings continue to slowly increase on both sides of the valley as a black bear was seen in the Three Sisters Area and a grizzly bear was seen along the river near Canmore. Both types of bears have also been spotted down in Kananaskis Country this past week. Mother bears will continue to emerge from their dens with their cubs. Give these new mothers and their young lots of space!
VIEW CURRENT WARNINGS AND CLOSURES
Grizzly bear seen along the river near Canmore
Food for Thought?
Bears starting to wander near town serves as a reminder for residents to keep their yards free of wildlife attractants such as food, garbage, recycling, bird-feeders, pets, pet food and greasy bbq’s. For those who are not aware, the Town of Canmore has a Wildlife Attractant Bylaw. Residents can be fined for having wildlife attractants accumulate to the point that they attract dangerous wildlife to their yards.
The ditches along the highways are greening up which is going to draw all kinds of wildlife roadside looking for that green grass! Remember to obey speed limits and slow down if you see wildlife by the road, but please do not stop to view wildlife. If you see one animal be prepared to see more and adjust your speed accordingly. We see a high mortality rate of wildlife from vehicles in the Bow Valley, so we want all motorists to travel safely and help protect our wildlife by understanding that the likelihood of encountering wildlife on or close to the road is increased during the spring season.
If you must stop on roadways to view wildlife, make sure it is done in a safe manner. Take your picture from a distance and move on. Do not linger at the location and never exit your vehicle to take a picture. Never feed wildlife or encourage wildlife to come closer to your vehicle.
In the Bow Valley and Kananaskis Country, please report all bear sightings to Kananaskis Emergency Services at 403-591-7755.
SOME THINGS TO ‘BEAR’ IN MIND
At this time of the year, bears are emerging from their dens hungry, and are often found in the valley bottoms looking for foods such as fresh shoots, roots, bulbs, and dandelions. People are also emerging form their winter hibernation and looking to enjoy some warmer weather and fresh air. With numerous outdoor recreation activities to partake in, not only in the valley but also at higher elevations there is increased chances of encountering bears as people are spread out all over the place. As such, all recreationists should always be expecting to encounter bears and mentally plan for this, which includes carrying bear spray and being prepared to use it.
Other ways to reduce the risk of close encounters with wildlife are:
Make lots of noise to alert wildlife to your presence and give them time to move off the trail.
Travel in a group (while maintaining social distance), keep children close by and avoid heading out at dusk, dawn or night when wildlife is most active.
GIVE WILDLIFE SPACE! Physical distancing is important for humans AND wildlife! Do not enter closed areas!
Look and listen for signs of wildlife and do not wear earbuds/headphones. It is important that you are able to hear what is going on around you!
KEEP DOGS ON A LEASH unless you are in a designated off-leash dog area. Remember to pick up after your dogs as their feces can act as an attractant for bears, and do not leave dog poop bags on the trail!
Whenever you head outdoors in bear country, you should always carry bear spray in an easily accessible location and be prepared to use it. DO NOT CARRY IT IN YOUR BACKPACK! Make sure it is not expired, and it should be carried while walking on well-travelled trails, including the trails in and around town; it is also effective against non-hibernating wildlife such as cougars, wolves, coyotes and elk.
“I will be bringing bear spray with me from now on, no matter what, even if I just go on a short hike.” This is a great quote and very important lesson learned by the B.C. man who had this recent cougar encounter. Another lesson, try not to hike alone as there is safety in numbers. When you are in a group you will likely be making more noise and you will be more intimidating for wildlife. You can read an article about this encounter by clicking here. Note: It is not recommended to be busy filming during encounters with wildlife. You should always have both hands free to use your bear spray or fight of the animals with sticks and rocks if needed.
In case you missed it, check out this new version of a bear spray/bear training video from the US Forest Service. This 360-degree interactive video can also be viewed using a virtual reality (VR) headset, and educates viewers on how to respond to a bear encounter based on the bear’s behaviour. Pretty cool, give it a try!
AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS
The Virtual Canadian Rockies Youth Summit starts on May 12th! This is a YOUTH led, designed, and organized environmental Summit designed to educate, elevate, and empower youth around the environmental issues affecting their shared mountain and wild spaces.
Events are designed to connect youth across Alberta, and empower youth with the knowledge and skills required to take action and be environmental leaders in their communities. WildSmart will be part of the Grizzly Bear & Human Coexistence Panel Presentation on May 13th at 9am.
You can sign up for the full summit or individual events as an Individual youth, Youth Group, or School classroom. If you want to watch any of the sessions they will be live streamed on YouTube.
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