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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 (July 15-22, 2022)
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park)
It is almost berry season and bears continue to be seen around Canmore on both sides of the valley, even along popular (and busy) trails. Many of the trails, day-use areas and picnic sites in the Bow Valley and Kananaskis Country continue to be very busy with people, resulting in numerous bear sightings and large amounts of garbage and waste left behind. As a result, there have been a few recent bear warnings put in place in campgropunds to make people more aware of the importance of properly securing garbage and food!
People need to pick up any garbage that has been left behind and ensure it is properly secured to avoid wildlife gaining access to it! Being exposed to unnatural food sources such as garbage puts wildlife at risk and increases public safety concerns around human-wildlife interactions. It has been said that “a fed bear is a dead bear”; wildlife can pay the price for our littering by getting relocated or destroyed. We can’t prevent bears from walking through our picnic areas and campsites, but we can certainly do our best not to give them a food reward or reason to linger!
With berry season around the corner, it is important to note that Buffaloberries are often found in sunny areas along trails, roads and recreation areas, and bears will soon be feeding on ripe berries in the Bow Valley and down in K-Country.
Bears will have their heads down focused on eating berries and not paying attention so it is up to us to make lots of noise to alert them of our presence to help avoid those surprise encounters.
You can also submit your report using the Report-A-Poacher Online form or contact your local district Fish and Wildlife office.
SOME THINGS TO ‘BEAR’ IN MIND
Vegetation this year seems to be fuller, higher and more dense than normal due to the wet spring. Because of this, the chances of surprise encounters are higher than normal as bears can be hidden by vegetation. Extra caution is needed when travelling, even on busy trails. Make noise, scan both sides of a path as you walk, be extra aware of your surroundings. Trail users need to mentally prepare themselves to handle bear encounters and expect to run into a bear while out on the trails! Carry bear spray to use in case of accidental close encounters.
As part of our Trusted Messengers project, we worked with various community groups to develop conservation messages tailored to their peer or recreational user group. Messages were delivered through conversations, video, social media, or a combination. We used surveys and interviews to evaluate the effectiveness of messages delivered. We assessed target audiences’ knowledge and behaviours before and after our communications efforts. Below is an example of an infographic we created with the Canmore and Area Mountain Bike Association (CAMBA).
WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS
Read this good article about the complicated ethics of wildlife photography.
‘Bear Jams’ are becoming increasingly common and more than some B.C. travellers can bear!
A report reveals that a California woman who was mauled to death by a grizzly bear last year was the victim of a rare predatory attack.
Watch some impressive teamwork as one young bear distracts the dominant bear while the other one steals the fish!
WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR WORDS OF WISDOM
"BUSTING BEAR MYTHS" BY DEREK RYDER, WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR
Myth#5: I’m a lot safer hiking on a busy trail, because bears will stay away from a lot of people.
Fact: Maybe, but we wouldn’t count on it. If there’s good food close to a busy trail, a bear will go after (and protect) the food no matter how many people are on the trail. Similarly, if a bear wants to move down a trail, they may or may not care how many people are on it. A few years ago, bear 122 in Banff, better known as The Boss, walked down the Johnston Canyon paved trail in the middle of a busy Saturday afternoon, much to the concern of all the people on the trail at the time. We’ve watched bears cross the Grassi Lakes and Troll Falls parking lots when they were full of cars and people. At events in the Canmore Nordic Center, bears have chosen to eat just meters from trails where hundreds of event participants passed it every hour.
Bears are just trying to make a living on the landscape. If people are around, bears need to learn to put up with us. Bears aren’t really afraid of a lot of things, including us. Having lots of people around and on your trail doesn’t really change the chances of a bear encounter. Better to be prepared to see a bear at all times by carrying your bear spray, staying in a group, keeping your dog on leash, and not wearing those ear buds.
Having lots of people around and on your trail doesn’t really change the chances of a bear encounter. Archived photo from B.C. in 2019.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT?
Berry season is almost here and soon there will be sightings of bears feasting on delicious ripe buffaloberries! They take this job very seriously, eating up to 200,000 berries per day and focusing on it for over 20 hours per day! As such, bears will have their heads down feeding on berries and they can be very defensive of their berry bushes, especially if surprised. We need to make extra noise and be vigilant (that means NOT wearing headphones/earbuds) when travelling through bear country.
Shepherdia canadensis, more commonly known as Buffaloberry. Red berries are most common but they can also be orange or yellow.
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.
During berry season bear scat looks a lot like strawberry jam!
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.
An example of some unripe cherries that are ready to be removed!
CURRENT VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
The Biosphere Institute is seeking a Volunteer Social Media Content Coordinator. This posting will remain open until this volunteer role is filled.
Volunteers needed to help promote reusable takeout containers at the Banff Farmer’s Market. Click on image to sign up!
AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS
Follow the story of a Canmore resident as they overcome hesitation to buy an electric vehicle. This video was produced for the Biosphere Institute by FieldLab Films with support from Environment and Climate Change and the Town of Canmore. For more info on Electric vehicles you can click here.
Introducing: Skip the Depot
Is your refundable recycling piling up? Want an easy way to give back to WildSmart? SkipTheDepot is a door-to-door bottle collection service that allows you to donate your refundable recycling to charities of your choice. Collections can now be scheduled in Canmore as well as these cities and towns. Recycling is now as easy as 1,2,3:
1. Download the app or register online, and book a pickup using this link:
https://app.skipthedepot.com/biosphere
2. Place your bags outside
3. Your refund gets donated directly to the Biosphere Institute!
SkipTheDepot is a great way to donate directly to the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley and WildSmart. Thanks for your support!
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