Did you know that WildSmart is a program of the Biosphere Institute, a local charity? Our work relies entirely on donations and sponsors. If you would like to support our community-based efforts to promote human-wildlife coexistence, please donate!
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 (Sep.16-23, 2022)
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park)
Although bear activity has slowed down a bit, don’t let your guard down! Bears are still active, searching for food throughout the Bow Valley and K-Country, and continue to be seen on both sides of the valley, especially feeding on fruit trees in residential areas. The black bear family pictured below was captured and relocated out of Canmore on Sep.17. Bears have also been seen near garbage & recycling bins, along many of the trail systems in town, and sleeping in backyards, so the probability of running into a bear in Canmore is still high. That, plus the fact that there have already been some reports in Canmore along the popular river trails of large rutting bull elk showing aggression towards people, means that people should be carrying bear spray with them out on the trails, even if they are going for a leisurely walk around town. You should still expect to encounter bears while out recreating so be properly prepared and not surprised!
Bears that gain access to food sources such as fruit, berries, bird feeders, garbage, commercial food waste, pet food and greasy BBQ’s can lose their natural fear of people, which increases the possibility of human-wildlife conflict. These bears can cause injury to people and pets, or destroy property, resulting in bears being relocated or destroyed. Relocated bears generally have a fairly low chance of survival (around 30%), but moving a bear in the fall is especially difficult.
Black bear with cubs in the Cougar Creek Area in Canmore. Photo taken on Sep.10, 2022. This is the same family that was recently relocated from Canmore.
With elk rutting season in full swing, you may hear some loud bugling! Male elk are particularly protective of the female elk they are with and may become aggressive towards anything that comes too close, even trucks (see the picture below and read this article from 2018). 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 and keep pets on a leash. If an elk charges (usually because you are much too close), be prepared to use your bear spray. Try to move behind a large object (e.g. car, large tree) and keep the object between you and the elk. Never approach elk to take pictures up close as they are wild animals that need their space and can react unpredictably!
Four holes made by a charging bull elk when this truck was stopped at a traffic light in Jasper National Park (2018). Photo courtesy of Parks Canada
Elk frequently hang out along trails and in wide open fields such as school yards and playing fields around town, which means you may have to choose an alternate route while out for a walk/run/ride. Parents should have a conversation with their children about giving wildlife lots of space, not trying to sneak past wildlife on the trail and calmly leaving the area if they see elk or other wildlife on their commute to school.
VIEW CURRENT WARNINGS AND CLOSURES
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
Larch Viewing: This is the time of year to head up into the alpine looking for larches, but be aware that grizzly bears are up there at this time of year too! There are a couple of things that grizzlies chow down on up in the alpine before they go to bed, and almost all of them are dug up such as ground squirrels, roots and bulbs. So keep an eye out for grizzly bear digs on your larch explorations.
Wildlife Ambassador Karen is back to talk to you about grizzly bear claws and their digs.
Here are a few responsible behaviours that larch seekers should remember while out on the trails during the fall season:
Always stay on designated trails. There are literally thousands of people out on the trails on the weekends and the alpine environment up there is very fragile.
Wear the proper footwear so you’re not grabbing onto trees.
Leave No Trace and pack out what you pack in.
Make lots of noise to avoid surprising wildlife and carry bear spray on your person.
It is advised to keep pets on a leash or consider leaving them at home when hiking in alpine environments to avoid any potentially dangerous encounters with grizzly bears.
Wildlife Ambassador Derek has some great reminders about being respectful of the wildlife who call this area their home.
WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS
Black bear family was relocated from Canmore after the cubs ran into a local restaurant.
Parks Canada issued a warning after bears enter Jasper to feast on fruit trees.
Read this article to learn more about Dogs in National Parks.
Watch some black bear cubs having some fun in B.C.
Two grizzly bears were euthanized last week in Montana after repeatedly accessing unnatural food sources.
Another black bear was euthanized in Nelson B.C. after getting into garbage.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT?
Several black bears continue to gain access to fruit trees and garbage throughout Canmore. This brings wildlife and humans close together and creates a concern for public and wildlife safety. Bears that get into fruit trees can cause extensive damage to the trees with the end result of the tree dying and often having to be replaced. Being proactive and removing the fruit before a bear gets to it could save your tree from getting destroyed by a bear and could prevent a bear from getting relocated or destroyed. For more info check out the Alberta BearSmart Fruit Trees and Bears fact sheet.
If you can’t reach that fruit up in the tree, no problem! We have extendable fruit pickers and extendable pole saw pruners that can be borrowed free of charge (donations are welcome). Please send an email to resource@biosphereinstitute.org to make arrangements to borrow the fruit picking equipment. Picked fruit can be put in the residential food waste bins around town. Leaves, branches and clippings can be put in the appropriate bins at the Boulder Crescent Recycling Depot.
This is a very impressive and cool example of what we want to see…wildlife eating natural foods!
WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR WORDS OF WISDOM
"BUSTING BEAR MYTHS" BY DEREK RYDER, WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR
Myth: You should carry an air horn in bear country.
Fact: Yes, air horns make a lot of noise. You would think that an air horn would be good to scare away a bear that is close to you. Except… it doesn’t work. A few years back, Kananaskis Conservation Officers and Bear Technicians carried air horns. What they found was that bears mostly just ignored them, especially after they had heard them once or twice.
We make noise to sound like people. Bears understand “people”, and generally don’t want to have anything to do with us. Air horns don’t sound like “people”. From a distance, they sound like a duck or goose or even an elk bugling. Up close, they’re just loud. Bears don’t generally get startled by loud noises.
The best deterrent in bear country is the human voice. Call out and say things. It doesn’t matter what you say nor what language you say it in (bears don’t speak English). Identify yourself as a people by talking or calling out.
The best deterrent in bear country is the human voice! A bear approaches a visitor along a road at Brooks Camp in Katmai National Park, Alaska. NPS Photo / Jake Bortscheller
AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS
This year marks the 25th Anniversary of the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley, and we are marking the occasion with a Do-Si-Do Square Dance for the Biosphere!
All are welcome to this Ho-down Show-down by buying a ticket using the link below! We will be offering a silent auction throughout the evening where all proceeds will go to supporting our work.
So get ready! We welcome young and old cowboys, cowgirls, and cowpals for some boot stomp’n fun!
Click here to buy your tickets now before they are sold out!
Thank you to Lafarge Canada for the sponsorship of this event!
UPCOMING EVENTS
LOVE YOUR LAKE COMMUNITY CLEANUP!
We hope you will join WildSmart, Bow Valley SPCA, and your local Canmore Municipal Enforcement Officers at Quarry Lake this Sunday Sep.25th from 1–4pm. for the Love Your Lake Community Cleanup.
Lend a hand and park for free (if you don’t have a free resident’s pass). Register at the welcome tent for a temporary parking pass. Check-in at the pathway nearest to the parking lot.
Learn how to keep people and wildlife safe through simple actions such as keeping dogs on-leash, staying on designated trails, carrying bear spray and managing attractants in your backyard. Dog walkers can come and test their quick draw skills at our dog on-leash bear spray challenge (with inert bear spray). For full event details click here!
COYOTE TALK - LIMINAL BEINGS: MARGINAL ETHICS?
Join Dr. Shelley Alexander for this FREE presentation at Fort Calgary on September 29, 2022 from 7:00-8:30pm MDT. Registration is required and attendance can be in-person or online via Zoom.
Few North American species are as subjugated as the coyote, which serves as her entry point to explore marginalization at the intersection of animal ethics, jurisprudence, and colonialism. There are several animals that live in the margins of human life, and our entanglements with them are always fraught with ethical challenges. None seem more tense than our negotiations with legally designated ‘pest’ or ‘nuisance’ animals. Drawing on decades of wild canid research, Shelley will explore mechanisms that entrain ethics towards these liminal species, and propose pathways to decolonize our relationships with all wildlife.
To attend in-person, please register here.
To register for the live Zoom webinar, please click here.
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