Our hearts are with those who have been affected by the recent wildfires.
We applaud the Banff Canmore Foundation, who has set up a fund to help the people of Jasper and those impacted by devastating wildfires. Funds support on the ground work by partners like the Jasper Community Team Society and all donations to this fund will be directed to support Jasper wildfire response and recovery. Donate Now by clicking here!
The information below is 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 UPDATE (August 22-29, 2024)
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park)
The major theme of this week is: black bear sightings! They are being spotted all over the place in the Bow Valley and Kananaskis Country! It is that time of year again when bears are preparing for winter with only one thing on their mind…food. While people are going to be out trying to get in their Larch hikes and last few camping trips, they must remember that bears need to feed undisturbed and they try to avoid people. So, while out in bear country, if you see signs of bears (like tracks and scat), or bear warnings in place, give them their space by turning around or recreating elsewhere.
Sadly, last Saturday (Aug.24) a highly habituated black bear was found repeatedly feeding in several crabapple trees in a residential backyard in the Peaks of Grassi Area in Canmore. The young bear, estimated to be 3-4 years old, would not leave the area after residents and officers tried shouting and making noise to scare it away. The bear continued to eat crabapples, hang out and take naps in the yard. Residents reported that this bear had been hanging around this area and feeding in the fruit trees for close to a week. The apples were still green and not yet ripe. As per the provincial Black Bear Response Guide, the decision was made to euthanize the bear.
Let this be a wake up call to Bow Valley residents! If you would like to help keep bears and people safe, remove the fruit from your trees, or better yet, remove the fruit tree altogether! In order to coexist with wildlife in the Bow Valley, we all need to do our part and remove the fruit from our trees and ground underneath to avoid drawing bears into town! It is our responsibility as residents and good neighbours to make sure that bears do not have a reason to linger in our yards, as they will pay the price for our poor attractant management by getting relocated or killed.
Did you Know? As per the recently updated Community Standards Bylaw in Canmore, 55.1- No Person or Owner shall permit or allow a Wildlife Attractant to be placed or remain in an outdoor location where it attracts Dangerous Wildlife. This means that if a bear is found feeding in your fruit tree, the first offence would be $1,000! (Read more in the ‘Food For Thought’ section below)
A photo of the highly habituated black bear taking a nap in between feedings in backyard fruit trees. This bear was euthanized after repeatedly feeding in several crabapple trees last Saturday (Aug.24, 2024) in the Peaks of Grassi neighbourhood in Canmore.
With the busy September long weekend coming up alongside a critical feeding phase for bears, it is even more important to properly secure wildlife attractants! Don’t be part of the problem, be part of the solution. Do not leave garbage out on the trails, in parks or day use areas, and do not leave any food unattended - even for a minute. ALL attractants need to be secured in your vehicle, hard-sided trailer or bear-proof lockers. Take out food only as you need it. This way, you can avoid having too much food out at any one time. If a bear approaches your picnic table with food on it, yell and shout to try to scare the bear away. If a bear is feeding at or approaching your picnic table, it is an appropriate time to use your bear spray. It is important that you do your best to secure your food and make sure bears do not get any food rewards. A fed bear is a dead bear. Any reason a bear has to feed on human food could result in bears getting relocated or killed.
If you see any garbage bins with open lids, please make sure they are closed and secured. If you are down in K-Country and come across any overflowing dumpsters or open garbage bins, please attempt to secure the lid before leaving and report it to Kananaskis Dispatch at 403-591-7755 Ext.4.
The elk rutting season has begun so you may hear some loud bugling! Male elk are particularly protective of the female elk they are with and they may become aggressive towards anything that comes too close. Elk frequently hang out in wide open fields such as school yards and playing fields around town. As students head back to school, it is a great time to remember how to safely coexist with wildlife.
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. The best way to keep them at ease is to stay at least 30m away - which is three school bus lengths - never try to sneak past them and never get between a male elk and the female elk. Remember: keep pets on a leash, carry bear spray in an easily accessible location, and if an elk charges, consider using your bear spray or position a large object (e.g. car, large tree) between you and the elk.
Photo by Amar Athwal.
VIEW CURRENT WARNINGS AND CLOSURES
A Bear Warning was recently posted for the Johnston Creek Trails to Ptarmigan Lake due to several grizzly bears in the area displaying defensive and aggressive behavior. Bears have approached hikers.
The elk rutting season has begun and will last until mid-October!
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
If you plan on doing some camping, remember to keep your campsite clean and garbage free! Make sure that bear attractants such as garbage, food and scented items are kept in vehicles or hard-sided trailers while camping. If you are camping in the backcountry, please use the bear proof lockers and bear hangs (if provided). Plan your campsite appropriately and ensure proper separation of cooking area, tent site and food storage. Be prepared to encounter bears out on the landscape whether you are in the backcountry or front country within parks and public lands. You can proactively give them the space they need to feed undisturbed by avoiding areas where bears have been seen or where active warnings have been put 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. Even if you are going for a leisurely walk around the neighbourhood in Canmore, you should be carrying bear spray and keeping your distance from all wildlife!
WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR WORDS OF WISDOM
Bears follow their noses and stomachs in search of the easiest meal. At this time in the Bow Valley, their senses lead them to crabapples, dogwood, cherries and mountain ash. They are doing their best to pack on as many pounds as possible in preparation for heading into their dens later this fall. Those calories should not be coming from people’s yards as it poses a public safety risk and could cost a bear its life!
A bear's go-to sense is their nose. Join Wildlife Ambassdor Derek as he looks up INSIDE a bear's nose to see why their sense of smell is 2,000 times better than ours.
WEEKLY WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR WHEREABOUTS
In case you have not seen them yet, our amazing Volunteer Wildlife Ambassadors have been heading out onto trails and trailheads. You can find them talking to people about responsible trail use and staying safe while recreating in bear country. Last weekend they were at North Interlakes Day Use Area, the Canmore Engine Bridge and Bow Valley Ranch in Fish Creek Provincial Park. Note: the locations they are stationed at may change at the last minute.
August 31 - Canmore Engine Bridge
Keep an eye out for the Wildlife Ambassadors next time you are out on the trails in the Bow Valley and K-Country. If you see them on the trails, be sure to say ‘hi’ and have a chat with them!
WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS
WildSmart was on Global TV Calgary this morning to talk about the elk rut, removing fruit from fruit trees and properly securing attractants at home and on the trails.
Defensive bears spotted on Banff trails, hikers advised to be cautious.
Swedish hunters kill more than 150 brown bears in first days of annual cull.
Staying safe in bear country in Alberta.
Man who claims bear attack in the Halifax area shares details.
Fat bear fall underway as they search for food in Colorado.
Bear wanders in yard while children play in driveway in Connecticut.
Watch as curious black bear paws at California teen's leg in close encounter.
Watch as this indoor cat meets a cougar through a window.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT?
Since the berry crop this year is poor, it is likely that bears will be coming into town this fall looking for easy meals. Fruit trees are the main attractants that will draw bears into residential areas and NOW is the time to remove the fruit before a bear points out the problem. Leaving fruit (such as crabapple, mountain ash, chokecherry and Dogwood) in your trees can attract bears into residential areas, putting bears and people at risk. It is YOUR responsibility to make sure that bears do not have a reason to linger in your yard, resulting in bears being relocated or killed. 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 the fruit is removed BEFORE it is ripe!
An example of the “Bear Bombs” messaging as part of the Keep Wildlife Alive Social Norms Campaign, previously developed by the Towns of Canmore and Banff.
Some important reminders about fruit trees for Canmore residents:
Leaving fruit (such as crabapples, mountain ash, chokecherry and dogwood) in your trees can attract bears into residential areas, creating a hazard for people and the children in those neighbourhoods, and also to the bear that may need to be relocated or killed if it continues seeking out residential fruit trees.
Residents can be fined for letting fruit and berries accumulate on trees and on the ground in their yards as per the Community Standards Bylaw. Key highlights related to Wildlife Attractants include:
New fruit-bearing vegetation that are wildlife attractants will not be allowed to be planted within Canmore, but it allows existing ones to remain.
No Person shall permit a Wildlife Attractant to be placed or remain in an outdoor location where the Wildlife Attractant is accessible to Wildlife. This means fruit and berries are not allowed to accumulate on existing trees, bushes or on the ground!
No Person or Owner shall permit or allow a Wildlife Attractant to be placed or remain in an outdoor location where it attracts Dangerous Wildlife. This means that if a bear is found feeding in your fruit tree, the first offence would be $1,000!
No Person shall feed, attempt to feed, or permit the feeding of Wildlife.
Fines can range between $250 to $10,000.
To find out more, view and download the Community Standards Bylaw here.
Removing the fruit from trees in your yard is recommended, but removing the fruit tree itself is the best practice. Fruit trees can be replaced with ornamental, non-fruit bearing trees, that produce beautiful blossoms but are not wildlife attractants.
If you prefer to remove your fruit tree (recommended), the Town of Canmore is running their voluntary Fruit Tree Removal Incentive Program again. Click here for more information and details about how to participate.
For those residents who are hesitant to replace their fruit trees, bears that get into fruit trees can cause extensive damage to the trees (as shown below) with the end result of the tree dying and often having to be replaced anyways.
WildSmart has pruning shears and extendable pole saw pruners and fruit pickers that can be borrowed (free of charge) to assist Bow Valley residents in removing fruit and berry bushes from their property. Please send an email to resource@biosphereinstitute.org to make arrangements to borrow the fruit removal 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.
Want to learn more about Fruit Trees and Bears? Click here!
Mountain Ash trees damaged by a black bear in Three Sisters area on Sep.8, 2021. Photo by Bob Cumming.
AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS
Canmore Folk Fest Waste Report - The 2024 Green Team excelled in their mission to move Folk Fest towards zero waste. The amazing team diverted 91% of waste from the landfill! Their waste diversion efforts kept 0.65 tons of CO2 out of our atmosphere. That's the equivalent weight to three large female Grizzly bears!
This graphic shows how the waste was categorized at this year's Folk Fest!
UPCOMING EVENTS
September 16 - Earth Talks: Wise Practices for Living with Wildlife
Join us to hear from Josh Welsh, Senior Manager of Communities & Conservation, Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation. Josh who will present about "Wise Practices for Living with Wildlife at the Scale Nature Needs." There will be time for a Q&A after the presentation. Attendees will learn that:
“Purposes are deduced from behaviour, not from rhetoric or stated goals.”
Human-wildlife coexistence can be a path to abundance.
CATS is essential, but only a small piece of the puzzle.
This FREE Earth Talks event will take place on Monday, Sep.16 from 7-8pm, in the Friends Program Room at the Canmore Public Library. Registration is required to attend in-person.
November 15 - Biosphere Institute’s 3rd Annual Community Square Dance Fundraiser!
SAVE THE DATE! Get ready to dust off your dancing shoes because we're kicking off our 3rd annual Community Square Dance on Nov.15! Ticket sales and more info will be shared in September.
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 Dispatch at 403.591.7755