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.23-29, 2022)
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park)
Bears continue to be in the news this past week as they were seen regularly in residential areas throughout the Bow Valley, as well as down in Kananaskis Country, as they actively search for food for the next month and a half to fatten up for their winter hibernation. Earlier this week, a black bear that walked right into the Bottle Depot in Canmore was captured and relocated. Bears are being drawn into town by the accumulation of fruit on trees and the ground around them, as well as by other wildlife attractants such as pet food, garbage, recycling and bird feeders.
In town and at home, residents are reminded to remove the fruit from their trees and ground underneath, as well as secure and/or remove all wildlife attractants from their yards, decks and garages.
Out on the trails and at day use areas and campgrounds, residents and visitors are reminded to pack out what they pack in, put garbage in bear-proof bins, and not leave garbage on the ground next to bins if they are full. This is not the time be complacent when it comes to garbage and food as the bears are hungry, following their noses and stomachs, and bears that gain access to these food sources 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, which results in bears being relocated or destroyed. Relocated bears generally have a fairly low chance of survival (around 30%), which is further reduced in the fall just prior to denning.
Courtesy of a black bear in B.C. This is what can happen if garbage is not properly stored in your garage, and if your garage is not properly secured!
With the probability of running into a bear in Canmore still being high, plus the fact that there continue to be reports in Canmore of large rutting bull elk showing aggression towards people, residents and visitors should be carrying bear spray with them out on the trails, even if they are going for a leisurely walk around town. It is also a good idea to be mentally prepared for, and expect, encounters with bears and elk out on the trails so that if you do, you are not surprised and will act accordingly.
With elk rutting season in full swing, a lot of loud bugling can be heard around town and along the popular river trails. Male elk are particularly protective of the female elk they are with, and may become aggressive towards anything that comes too close. 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!
Elk frequently hang out along trails and in wide open spaces 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.
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
At least 7 black bears have recently been trapped and relocated from Canmore! Are you concerned about any of the following issues?
The fact that at least 7 black bears have recently been trapped and relocated from Canmore
Your kids encountering a bear while walking or biking to school
Your kids being kept inside at recess because of bears on the school grounds
Having trees and other property damaged by bears frequenting residential areas
Encountering bears sleeping in your backyard or on your deck
Encountering bears eating fruit from your fruit tree or dog food from the dog bowl on the deck
Encountering bears in the street while out walking your dog
Encountering bears while at the playground with your kids
People being injured by bears
Pets being injured by bears
Trails being closed because of aggressive encounters between bears and people
Wildlife staff trapping and relocating bears, sometimes with small cubs, to unfamiliar areas where survival is questionable (particularly in the fall just prior to denning)
Wildlife staff having to destroy bears because they pose a public safety concern to the community
If any of these issues are a concern to you, then we all need to work together to stop encouraging bears to come into town. That means we all need to STOP feeding them by removing all potential wildlife attractants from our yards, including fruit from our trees and ground, berries, pet food, garbage, bird feeders, recycling and greasy bbqs. If we remove the food sources, we remove the problem!
Failure to do so will result in the cycle of bears coming into town, creating public safety concerns, and then being removed, to continue for years and years to come. YOU can make a difference; please act responsibly and refrain from feeding wildlife in town!
WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS
WildSmart presented to Bragg Creek residents about how people need to make good choices in order to coexist with bears!
Durango, Colorado is working toward a peaceful coexistence with wildlife to help keep people and bears safe.
Bears have been very busy accessing unprotected garbage, birdseed and compost across the Interior of B.C.
Grizzly bear sow and her cubs were captured and relocated after killing livestock in Mountain View County, AB.
A 9-year-old boy was seriously injured by a brown bear while hunting in Alaska. The bear was shot dead by an accompanying family member.
Trail runner has a very close encounter with a bear on a trail near Los Angeles. Here is more video footage of the encounter.
A trio of cougars was spotted on a home security camera in Elbow Valley in SW Calgary.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT?
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. 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.
A very recent example in Canmore of a Mountain Ash tree destroyed by a black bear!
WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR WORDS OF WISDOM
What are the Bears eating today? by Derek Ryder, Volunteer Wildlife Ambassador & IGA Interpretive Guide
Living and recreating safely in bear country means understanding many things, from signs that bears are around to what to do in a bear encounter. As we wander in the wilderness (or even in town sites) we are travelling in a bear’s home: their living areas, dining areas, and even their bathrooms. Recognizing the food sources that bears are currently eating can help raise your awareness of the possibility that bears are around where you are at any given moment. In this series of articles, each month, we’re going to look at what bears are eating right now, and for the next few weeks.
In October, as berry season fades in the valleys and frost kills the berry plants, most Grizzlies are now up in the alpine. Now that they’re up there, the first and easiest plant they’ll find to eat is Cow Parsnip with their tall, distinctive white flowers. Remember, bears hunt with their noses and Cow Parsnip flowers… stink. Find a marshy, wet spot, or creek or river course anywhere in K-Country, and you’ll find Cow Parsnip. You can’t miss it by late September; it has grown to 6’ tall before deep freezes (which we have not had yet) kill it off. And best for bears: the roots are still edible after it’s dead. Click here or on the image below to read Derek’s full article about Cow Parsnip!
Click on this image of Cow Parsnip to read the full article!
AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS
We had a great time on Sunday at the Love Your Lake Community Cleanup at Quarry Lake! Residents and visitors were able to learn from Biosphere staff, Volunteer Wildlife Ambassadors and Town of Canmore Municipal Enforcement Officers about important topics such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, responsible trail use, managing attractants in backyards and ways to improve human-wildlife coexistence. Participants, both young and old, got a chance to get some hands-on bear spray training. Thanks to all those who came out, we had a blast!
One of our youngest participants in action on Sunday!
Fat Bear Week is coming up quickly and will run from October 5-11. Choose the fattest bear of the year! Some of the largest brown bears on Earth make their home at Brooks River in Katmai National Park, Alaska. Brown bears get fat to survive and Fat Bear Week is an annual tournament celebrating their success in preparation for winter hibernation. This is a single elimination tournament. Each day, pairs of bears face off. For each match-up, vote for the bear you believe best exemplifies fatness. The bear with the most votes advances to the next round. Only one will be crowned champion of Fat Bear Week. A two-day “play-in” competition, called Fat Bear Junior, precedes the main event. The winning chubby cubby advances to the finals to go up against the big fellas.
Voting for Fat Bear Jr. is open only on Sep.29-30.
Voting for the main Fat Bear Week event will run from Oct.5-11.
Brooks Falls in Alaska's Katmai National Park is the best place in the world to watch brown bears feasting on salmon as they swim upstream to spawn. Find out the best time to watch live and learn more about Katmai and its brown bears by clicking here, and enjoy watching the live webcam below.
UPCOMING EVENTS
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!
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