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.29-Oct.6, 2022)
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park)
Happy Thanksgiving! With the upcoming long weekend and nice weather forecast, the trails and day use areas will likely be busy with visitors. It’s important that everyone remains vigilant and mentally prepared for possible encounters with bears and other wildlife, all of which are still active in the Bow Valley and Kananaskis Country!
Bears continue to be in the news as this past Monday a mother black bear and two cubs were euthanized for public safety reasons in Canmore after feeding in a commercial dumpster in the downtown core. This is very sad news and shows that relocation is not always successful, and that people need to make better choices in order to coexist with bears! These choices include properly securing garbage (both residential and commercial), removing fruit from trees, cleaning bbq’s, removing bird feeders and feeding pets indoors. All of these simple choices can save a bear's life! FYI, at least nine bears have been trapped and relocated this year from Canmore because they gained access to one or more of the above mentioned food sources!
Bears that gain access to these food sources in town 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 (30%), which is further reduced in the fall just prior to denning. The mother bear and cubs mentioned above travelled over 200km within 2 weeks of being relocated, and they came back to almost the exact same place in Canmore where they had previously found food rewards, with the end result of them getting euthanized. We can do better Canmore!
Archived photo of a bear eating crabapples in Canmore.
Elk continue to be seen and heard bugling 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 need to 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.
Male elk are particularly protective of any female elk they are with, and there continue to be reports of large rutting bull elk showing aggression towards people getting too close. Give plenty of space to ALL ELK (at least 30 metres or 3 bus lengths), never try to sneak past them, never get between a male elk and the female elk and keep pets on a leash. More information about elk encounters here.
Never approach elk to take pictures as they are wild animals that need their space and can react unpredictably!
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
A reminder that it is hunting season so please be aware of your surroundings and stay clear of dead animals. Hunters need to be cautious as due to the nature of their activity, they are intentionally being quiet on the landscape. They should always carry bear spray and know how to use it, even if they are carrying a gun.
Out on the trails and at day use areas, 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. 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.
Our Volunteer Wildlife Ambassadors were out again last weekend at Highwood Pass for the second Saturday in a row and spoke with over 1,600 people heading out for a hike to see the larches. A common comment from the people they spoke with who were not carrying bear spray was “I don’t need to carry bear spray when there are so many people out on the trail,” and “Bears won’t come near the trail when it is so busy.” Little did all these people know that there were at least two separate grizzly bear sightings on Pocaterra Ridge, which was also crazy busy and only a short distance away from Highwood Pass. 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. We busted this bear myth on July 22, 2022!
An example of how busy it was down in the Highwood Pass area last weekend. This photo is of Arethusa parking lot on Sunday Oct.2, 2022.
WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS
A mother black bear and two cubs were euthanized for public safety reasons in Canmore.
A black bear attack on a family of four hiking near Dawson Creek, B.C. leaves two women critically injured.
Here are some tips to stay bear aware during the fall foraging season from WildSafe in Castlegar B.C.
A runner was injured in a rare cougar attack on a Utah trail.
Info on AllTrails app sending visitors off-track in Kananaskis Country.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT?
Please do your part in keeping wildlife WILD and outside of residential areas by removing attractants such as fruit (both on trees and on the ground), bird feeders, grease on barbecues, pet food, garbage and pumpkins from your yard. Many hands make light work, so if you have family or friends visiting this weekend, have them help pick the fruit from your yard. The fruit can be used to make delicious jams, jellies and baked goods and liqueurs! Otherwise, 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.
If the barrier to you being able to remove your fruit is not having the right equipment, look no further! 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.
Halloween is around the corner and with that, pumpkins are starting to make an appearance. Please be proactive and remember to keep pumpkins inside of windows and NOT outside on your doorstep. Pumpkins are a wildlife attractant to all sorts of animals, not just bears.
Keep your doorstep bear free by placing pumpkins inside windows!
WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR WORDS OF WISDOM
"BUSTING BEAR MYTHS" BY DEREK RYDER, WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR
Myth: You should be fearful of bears.
Fact: Fearful, no. Respectful, yes.
If you act respectfully when you visit a bear’s home, there should be no reason to be afraid of a bear. Being a respectful visitor means giving bears the space they need to live their lives. It means enjoying seeing a bear from a distance. It means not interrupting a bear doing bear things, nor threatening it (even if you didn’t mean to). It means not sneaking up on a bear. Bears react to us when we are bothering them. Don’t bother them.
Being afraid of a bear will drive you to behaviours that will make bear encounters worse. This includes things like running away (never, ever run from a bear), panicking, screaming or even forgetting how to use your bear spray.
Act respectfully in a bear’s home, and there’s almost no reason to be afraid of bears. The better prepared you are, and the better you understand and practice what to do in a bear encounter, the less fear you’ll have about seeing bears in the wild.
Archive photo of a grizzly bear down in K-Country. Photo by Jamin Mulvey.
AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS
On behalf of all the staff at the Biosphere Institute, THANK YOU Bow Valley! We are honoured to be voted the Best Environmental Program in Canmore and look forward to continue working together with all of you to address human-wildlife coexistence and climate change challenges!
From the Oct.6, 2022 edition of the RM Outlook.
Just a reminder that voting for Fat Bear Week started yesterday and will run until Oct.11! 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 on Oct.11!
Some of the largest brown bears on Earth make their home at Brooks River in Katmai National Park, Alaska. Find out the best time to watch live, then watch the live webcam and learn more about Katmai and its brown bears by clicking here.
This one of the two match-ups happening on Oct.7 that you can vote on!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Do-Si-Do Square Dance for the Biosphere!
Friday, October 28, we are hosting a Square Dance, celebration and fundraiser including a silent auction at the Cornerstone Theatre. Tickets are just $25 - buy them now before they sell out!
Click here for event details! 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