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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 (Aug.29-Sep.5, 2024)
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park)
Unfortunately, bears were in the news again this past week! A hunter was attacked by a female grizzly bear with sub-adult cubs near the hamlet of Madden, NW of Calgary. The individual, who was in a forested area at the time, sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Following further investigation, Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services determined through DNA samples that the bear was also responsible for a fatal attack that occurred in 2021 near the village of Waiparous. Fish and Wildlife Officers are searching for the bear. Read more in this related article.
There continues to be a big uptick in bear sightings over the past week in the Bow Valley in residential areas in Canmore, in the M.D. of Bighorn hamlets and campgrounds. The black bears are keying in on any area that has berries and other natural food sources. All trails users need to be mentally prepared to encounter a bear while out recreating. A reminder that day-use areas and campsites need to be kept clean and wildlife attractants need to be properly secured when not on site.
Bears are in the backcountry - don’t expect them to move just because you’re making noise. Making noise can help to reduce surprise encounters, but with food limitations, bears will not want to give up their food sources, be it berries, roots, vegetation or carrion. Trail users need to have good situational awareness and be respectful by giving bears the space they need to feed undisturbed in their natural habitat.
Food is still constantly on a bear’s mind and they are very focused on eating as much food as possible in advance of their upcoming winter hibernation. They are choosing easy meals such as garbage, pet food and bird seed, and have also been feeding in fruit trees, namely crabapple, chokecherry, dogwood and mountain ash, in yards across town. They have also been seen walking along the streets (even streets very close to downtown) which poses a public safety risk. Bears in yards and on streets can easily encounter unsuspecting kids playing in backyards, parks and commuting to and from school. Removing the fruit from your trees will help keep people safe and could save a bear’s life! More on this in the “SOME THINGS TO ‘BEAR’ IN MIND” section below!
Archived photo of a female grizzly bear with cubs.
The elk rutting season has begun and will last until mid-October 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. 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! Never approach elk up close as they are wild animals that can react unpredictably!
VIEW CURRENT WARNINGS AND CLOSURES
A Bear Warning was put in place at Spray Lakes West Campground due to a bear in the campground area trying to access human food.
Bear Warning - Sparrowhawk Tarns Area due to a bluff charge from a grizzly bear.
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
Since the berry crop this year is poor, it is likely that bears will be coming into town this fall looking for easy meals. 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. The Mountain Ash crop in the Bow Valley will likely bloom in the next few weeks and attract more bears into town! 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, ensure the fruit is removed ASAP!
Bears are so focused on food this time of year that they are more likely to take risks, like coming into town and backyards to feed in fruit trees. Letting a bear access these higher calorie items such as crabapples won't do it any favours. Once they try these food sources they can learn that towns provide easy meals, meaning they're more likely to stick around and come back. This can become a public safety issue as bears can get protective of food sources, leading to conflicts between bears and humans, with bears normally paying the price by getting relocated or killed.
Last week, after reporting that a black bear was euthanized after feasting on fruit trees in Canmore, we focused on the attractants (the fruit) and how poor attractant management drew the bear into town looking for an easy meal. Euthanization is a last resort and we, as a community, failed that bear! We would like to report that enforcement action has been taken by Municipal Enforcement and a violation ticket has been served. 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 leaving wildlife attractants (such as fruit, garbage, recycling, compost, bird feeders, pet food and greasy bbq’s) in an outdoor location where it may attract bears, can result in steep fines of $1,000 for the first offence, $5,000 for the second, and $10,000 for the third! So if you care about the safety of bears and people we need you to do your part to save a bear’s life!
LESSON: Remove your fruit trees or their fruit, or you may face steep fines! ***Please share this message with your friends, family, and neighbours with fruit trees in their yards!***
THE IMPORTANCE OF REPORTING WILDLIFE: This week we are going to focus on another important part of how we failed that bear - the lack of reporting of the black bear by the community! Many people believe that reporting a black bear in town, especially your backyard, is a death sentence for that bear. The truth is quite the opposite. By not reporting a bear, you are allowing the bear to learn bad behaviours (such as feeding in fruit trees, lingering in backyards, feeding at bird feeders, eating pet food, eating garbage etc.) and you teach the bear that it is OK to come into town and eat unnatural food sources - when in fact it is not OK and it will eventually lead to its death. Allowing the bear to feed for days without reporting it contributed to its demise. If residents would have reported the bear immediately when it first started feeding in the fruit trees, there would have been a good chance that the bear could have survived.
LESSON: If you want to help save bears, report all sightings of bears in town! ***Please share this message with your friends, family, and neighbours!***
To learn more about the consequences of not reporting bears in town, please watch the video in the “Wildlife Ambassador Words of Wisdom” section below.
Archive photo of a black bear in a yard in Canmore. Photo by Lisanne Mol.
WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR WORDS OF WISDOM
At one of our Earth Talks last year on Nov.20, Wildlife Ambassador Derek Ryder shared some really important takeaways about Urban Wildlife, including the importance of reporting bears in town! We highly recommend you watch the full recording as you will learn some important insights such as “Inactions matter just as much as actions. Everything we don’t do matters just as much as things we do. Doing nothing says whatever they are doing is ok.”
Click to watch the Zoom recording of Wildlife Ambassador Derek’s presentation about Urban Wildlife and the importance of reporting bears in town!
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 the Canmore Engine Bridge. Note: the locations they are stationed at may change at the last minute.
September 7 - Bow Falls in Banff
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
Black bear feasting on fruit trees in Canmore killed for public safety.
Bear spray used by grizzly attack victim to defend himself.
Alberta grizzly bear behind recent attack involved in fatal mauling in 2021.
Archery hunter survives surprise grizzly bear attack in Idaho.
Cougar attacks 5-year-old at Southern California park and is euthanized.
Black bear cub fed Taco Bell and driven 10 hours in back of van in Ontario. Here is some video footage of this black bear cub.
Caught on camera: Bear sneaks up behind child in Aspen yard.
EDITORIAL: Wildlife crossings critical for safe movement of people and animals.
Cyclist who survived cougar attack recounts being dragged off bike.
Bear cools off in backyard pool in La Cañada Flintridge in Southern California.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT?
Here are some important reminders and info 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. Over $45,000 is still remaining in the budget for this Incentive Program so we urge you to consider removing your fruit tree! 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.
You can also use your crabapples to make delicious jams, jellies and baked goods and liqueurs.
Check out the Alberta BearSmart Fruit Trees and Bears fact sheet for more info!
Crabapple tree BEFORE…
and AFTER…This is what can happen if you don’t remove the fruit!
AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS
Earlier this summer, the Future Leaders Youth Council members took a moment to look back on their environmental projects. This video below from Sunshine Creative captures lessons from the past and how the members hope to apply them in the future! Are you or someone you know a Bow Valley student in Grades 10-12? Stay tuned to this Bear Report and @future.leaders.biosphere on Instagram for more opportunities to get involved in the Youth Council and upcoming initiatives!
For a bear, being FAT is a good thing! With all the negative news in the past week involvoing bears, this will hopefully put a smile on your face. We are a bit early for Fat Bear Week, which this year runs from October 2-8, but this one massive male grizzly bear named “Chunk” ate 135,000 calories in 10 hours. And he's not done. As a large dominant bear, he earns access to the most productive fishing spots, allowing an already large bear to grow huge. Read the full story here.
“The calories in each fish ‘Chunk’ consumed likely varied this late in the season, as some fish have spawned (releasing eggs into a stream bed), and some haven't. Fitz estimates each fish contained an average of 3,000 calories, that would mean that ‘Chunk’ consumed 135,000 calories in one day, Fitz marveled. This is direct evidence of his hard work and success in preparation for winter hibernation.” Here is some bonus footage of Chunk…as you can see he is large and in charge!
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.
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, or you can join online LIVE via Zoom by clicking here.
November 15 - Biosphere Institute’s 3rd Annual Community Square Dance Fundraiser!
The Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley invites you to join us for some boot stompin' fun at our third annual Square Dance Community Fundraiser! The most fun you can have with your boots on...
We will provide you with an incredible live band, light snacks and so much laughing your belly will hurt the next day!
Friday, November 15, 2024
Doors open: 6:30 PM at the Cornerstone Theatre in Canmore
Dance begins at 7:30 PM and runs until late.
General Admission: $45+processing fees
Early Bird Tickets (limited quantity): $35+processing fees
Silent auction, draw prizes and more - all profits go to supporting the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley. All are welcome! We welcome young and old cowboys, cowgirls, and cowpals! No dance experience or partner necessary. The past two years have sold out, so get your tickets soon. A limited number of discounted early bird tickets are available until Sep.25, 2024. Yeehaw, see you there!
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