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!
BEAR ACTIVITY UPDATE (Oct.16, 2025)
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park)
For the most part, bear activity has been relatively quite in the Bow Valley and Kananaskis Country this past week, with no new warnings or closures being put in place.
That being said, there have been recurring reports of a black bear accessing fruit trees in the Silvertip area in Canmore, and a large grizzly bear was seen walking towards hikers on the popular and busy Johnston Canyon Trail in Banff National Park on Oct.14. There was no incident but serves as a great reminder that bears are still out on the landscape looking for food to pack on those extra few pounds before heading into their dens for the winter. We always need to be mentally prepared for and expecting encounters! See article: Hikers come face-to-face with grizzly on popular Banff trail.
If there are bears feeding or walking along trails, give them their space (at least 100m), back away, leave the area, don't try and sneak past them and don’t expect bears to move off a food source for you. Bears can be very protective of their food and may exert their dominance if you get too close. Trail users need to be prepared by carrying bear spray but also need to respect the bears and give them space to move around and feed undisturbed. IMPORTANT: Bears can and will be encountered on busy trails. If a bear is walking down the trail towards you (and if safe to do so), simply try moving off of the trail to let them pass. If the bear continues past, you were just in the way. If the bear turns to follow you, there is more going on and you should have your bear spray out and be ready to spray the bear.
Reminder to residents: REMOVE AND SECURE ATTRACTANTS to keep you and your neighbourhood safe! If you don't want a bear in your yard or to get it relocated or killed, make sure you don't provide it with a meal! Remove or secure ALL wildlife attractants such as fruit (on trees and on the ground), PUMPKINS, bird feeders, unsecured garbage, greasy bbq's and pet food - or you may face steep fines and be responsible for killing a bear! To find out more about the fines associated with allowing wildlife attractants such as fruit to accumulate on trees and on the ground, view and download the Community Standards Bylaw here.
Grizzly bear walking down the busy trail at Johnston Canyon in Banff NP on Oct.14, 2025. Photo by Aiden McKay.
SLOW DOWN: Motorists need to slow down when passing wildlife roadside, obey speed limits and be extra alert (especially at dawn and dusk) as the days are getting shorter and the number of darkness hours are increasing. Remember to always stay in your vehicle and give bears at least 100m of space at all times! Check out the Friends of Kananaskis Country’s Tips for Roadside Wildlife Viewing here.
Hunters need to be cautious as, due to the nature of their activity, they are intentionally being quiet on the landscape. They should always be bear aware and carry bear spray with them while out hunting! Bear spray can save the life of the hunter AND the bear(s).
VIEW CURRENT WARNINGS AND CLOSURES
Please report any sightings of a bear, cougar, wolf or any aggressive wildlife in the Bow Valley or K-Country to Kananaskis Dispatch at 403-591-7755. In Banff, call Dispatch at 403.762.1470. They prefer to get the reports first hand from the people who see the wildlife!
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. 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 trying to take pictures or trying to sneak past them on the trails. Give plenty of space to ALL ELK by staying at least 30m away - which is three school bus lengths - never try to sneak past them, never get between a male elk and the female elk, and keep your pets on a leash.
Remember: Always carry bear spray in an easily accessible location, and if an elk charges, position a large object (e.g. car, large tree) between you and the elk or consider using your bear spray. Never approach elk up close as they are wild animals that can react unpredictably!
Elk are often found on busy trails in Canmore. Give them space and NEVER try to sneak past them!
SOME THINGS TO ‘BEAR’ IN MIND
THE IMPORTANCE OF REPORTING WILDLIFE: Many people believe that reporting a 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. For example, allowing a bear to feed for days in a fruit tree without reporting it will contribute to its demise. Everything we don’t do matters just as much as things we do. Doing nothing says whatever they are doing is ok.
Urban Bear Messaging: We have talked about this many times in previous bear reports and our friends at BearWise south of the border have created an excellent infographic that outlines the Why and How to Safely Haze/Scare a bear (see below):
"What should you do if you discover a bear close to your home or hanging around someplace not safe for bears? In the great outdoors, the guideline is to leave bears alone. Bears typically avoid people, but easy access to garbage, pet food, birdseed and other food sources can attract bears. Around our homes and communities, the most BearWise thing you can do is teach the bear it is not welcome. Scaring the bear can temporarily stop unwanted behavior and give you time to remove or secure attractants. BearWise has a free checklist, “Scare the Bear” that you can download and learn why, how and when to safely haze a bear. The checklist includes the 6 BearWise Hazing Rules and 4 Safe Ways to Scare a Bear. This free 1-page checklist is full of “scary” good information that can help keep people safe and bears wild.” Click here to download the checklist now.
WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR WORDS OF WISDOM
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 in the video below to talk to you about grizzly bear claws and their digs.
Click here to read what the Friends of Kananaskis Country recommends for larch viewing! You can also click here for an extensive list of trails with larches, none of which are at the Highwood Pass.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT?
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 and eating pumpkins. Letting a bear access these higher calorie items 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.
Remove all fruit from branches and dispose of it responsibly. Picked fruit can be put in the residential food waste bins around town. Leaves, branches and clippings can be disposed of separately in the appropriate bins at the Boulder Crescent Recycling Depot.
Need help removing the fruit? WildSmart has pruning shears, extendable pole saw pruners and fruit pickers that can be borrowed (free of charge) to assist Bow Valley residents in removing that hard to reach fruit. Please send an email to resource@biosphereinstitute.org to make arrangements to borrow the fruit removal equipment.
Apply for the Town of Canmore’s Fruit Tree Removal and Replacement Incentive: Picking fruit every year is a lot of work so the recommended long-term solution is to remove your fruit tree! There is still plenty of money remaining in the budget this year for the Town of Canmore’s Fruit Tree Removal and Replacement Incentive Program so we urge you to consider removing and replacing your fruit tree now while the funds are available! These programs are first-come first-served while funds are available. Click here for more details!
Halloween is around the corner so 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, and we all need to do our best to avoid attracting wildlife into residential areas. You might think that your pumpkin is safe on a balcony, far off the ground, but bears are very good climbers. Check out this video of an ingenious bear climbing up onto a balcony.
Pumpkins placed inside your windows can still be enjoyed by trick-or-treaters!
WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS
Calgary black bear tranquilized and relocated as hibernation nears.
‘We always carry a gun now’: Grizzly bears push farther into the Alberta prairies.
Hikers seriously injured in grizzly bear attack northeast of Prince George, B.C.
Bear that was being hand fed in Chilliwack B.C. ‘had to be destroyed’.
Reports of cougar sightings in Silver Star area near Vernon.
82-Year-Old Woman Attacked By Bear In Japan.
Bears kill record number of people in Japan this year.
Bear grabs a bite to eat from garbage bin behind KTLA reporter in California.
Bear CRASHES Bachelorette Party and Chaos Ensues in Lake Tahoe, California.
AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS
We’ve updated the All-Candidates Forums on the Environment webpage with new information to help residents make an informed choice with the environment in mind when voting at the upcoming Municipal Election Day on Monday, Oct.20. The page now includes a summary of key themes from the forums, links to media coverage, and additional resources for residents to learn about candidates’ environmental perspectives. Click here to view the updated webpage. Thank you for helping support informed, environment-conscious voting across the Bow Valley!
Learn more about voting locations and advance polls at your town’s website: Banff | Canmore
The candidates at our Canmore Election Forum on the Environment, October 2, 2025.
October 30 - Quirky Climate Fashion Show Fundraiser!
Join the Mountain Grannies and the Biosphere Institute for this bright, bold, and unexpectedly funny unique fashion-performance that uses original, story-filled garments to spark conversations about climate change. Far from gloom and doom, the show invites audiences to look, listen, learn – and even laugh. Come be inspired to reflect, talk, and take action on the climate crisis… with a touch of humour and colour along the way (Garments are not for sale).
Thursday, Oct 30, 2025 at Creekside Hall
Doors open: 6:30pm | Fashion Show starts at: 7:00pm
Tickets: $40 (Use Promocode "CANMORE10" for 10% off your ticket)
Click here to buy tickets now! (Ticket includes a glass of wine + assorted cheeses and crackers).
All proceeds will be donated to the Stephen Lewis Foundation and the Biosphere Institute!
CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES
Join the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley and help lead community action on climate change and sustainability! We’re hiring a temporary Shift: Climate Transitions Program Coordinator (Maternity Leave) to deliver engaging education programs, build partnerships, and support local emissions reduction initiatives—from energy-efficient buildings and electric vehicles to circular economy projects. If you are interested in applying for this opportunity please email a resume and cover letter to grace@biosphereinstitute.org by October 24, 2025. Proposed start date: Dec.1, 2025. Click here to learn more and apply!
UPCOMING EVENTS
October 16-19 - EV’s are for Everyone Cross-Canada Tour in Canmore!
Last Chance to test drive some EV’s in Canmore! Come connect with Plug’n Drive EV ambassadors, get your questions answered, and experience the latest in electric vehicle technology. Test drives will be available in a lineup of EVs from leading manufacturers! Click below to book your test drive appointment—drop-ins are welcome, but priority will be given to scheduled visitors.
Canmore MEET - Click Here to Book your Canmore Test Drive!
This event will take place in Canmore from Oct.16-19, 2025, Thursday to Sunday from 10am-5pm at the Canmore Recreation Centre.
October 26 - Banff Share and Repair Fair
Join the Town of Banff and the Biosphere Institute for a fun, FREE community event celebrating the circular economy. Explore on-site repairs, hands-on workshops, live music, and community connection - plus free Frankie D’s donuts! Sunday, Oct.26 | 10am-2pm | Fenlands Rec. Centre.
Special Workshop Highlight: Join Iethka (Stoney) artists Kyle Kaquitts and Jarron Poucette for a hands-on session where you’ll bead and assemble your own buckskin medicine bag necklace. The workshop begins with a smudge ceremony and stories about honouring all parts of the animal.
From Patagonia to Community Cruisers, discover an array of local businesses and organizations driving reuse, repair, upcycling, and sharing across the Bow Valley. Click here to RSVP for free and be entered to win prizes.
Sign up here for a free workshop. Drop-ins are also welcome pending capacity.
We are still looking for community volunteers - Click here to sign up as a volunteer.
Iethka (Stoney) artists Kyle Kaquitts and Jarron Poucette
November 21 - Do-Si-Do for the Biosphere Institute: Square Dance Fundraiser
Last Chance for Early Bird Tickets! Don’t miss out on your discounted tickets... early bird pricing ends on Tuesday, October 21! Dust off your boots for a night of toe-tappin’ fun featuring live music, light snacks, prizes, and a lively square dance led by a professional caller. No experience needed. Secure your spot now and save!
Friday November 21, 2025.
Doors open: 6:30 PM at the Cornerstone Theatre | Dancing starts at 7:30 PM
Early Bird Tickets: $35 + fees | General Admission: $45 + fees
Use the promo code: BIOSPHEREFAMILY for an extra $5 discount - Fire in the hole!
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