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!
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!
BEAR ACTIVITY UPDATE (June 19, 2025)
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park)
There were several warnings and closures put in place this past week in Kananaskis Country and in Banff National Park related to bears accessing food and other wildlife attractants in tents at campgrounds.
EXAMPLE: Bear Warning - All campgrounds in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park facility zone.
Why: A black bear accessed and damaged an unoccupied tent at Boulton Creek Campground, which contained food attractants. It is uncertain if the bear received any food reward. A warning has been issued for the other campgrounds in the facility zone because of their proximity to Boulton Creek Campground. Recently, black bears have been spotted in the campground.
A reminder that a warning gets put in place for an elevated risk of encounters, and closures are put in place to give bears space and protect the public - so please respect them!
Reminder to campers to be diligent in keeping ALL wildlife attractants secure from bears including food, garbage, recycling, pet food and any other scented items. Lock them in vehicles, hard-sided trailers or bear-proof storage lockers and never leave these items unattended, even for a minute. Never leave food and scented items in tents as bears can easily access them. Always dispose of garbage in bear-proof bins. We can’t prevent bears from walking through our picnic areas and campsites, but we can certainly do our best not to give them a food reward or reason to linger!
Bears are feeding in the valley bottoms, along trails and roadside, where most of their available food is located. People are primarily using the valley bottoms (where the bears are), resulting in a large number of sightings of both grizzly and black bears throughout the Bow Valley, including in residential areas, as well as in K-Country. Take home lesson: Expect to run into a bear while out on the trails!
Remember to make lots of noise (yell, shout) to let wildlife know you are coming down the trail to avoid surprise encounters, and give them time to move off of the trail. Travel in groups (ideally four or more), keep pets on a leash and carry bear spray and be prepared to use it in case of a close encounter. Even if you are going for a leisurely walk around Canmore you should be carrying bear spray and always be mentally prepared to encounter bears. If you know of or have heard of bear activity in a given area, please consider recreating elsewhere!
Bears and other wildlife continue to be seen on and near roads. Remember to obey speed limits and slow down when passing wildlife but don’t stop and always stay in your vehicle! Never get out of your vehicle to get closer to a bear that is roadside - it stresses out and disturbs the bear, and is potentially dangerous for you, the bear and other motorists. Give bears at least 100m of space at all times and do not linger near wildlife feeding roadside - keep moving along! Be extra vigilant at dawn, dusk and during night time hours to avoid collisions with wildlife. The Friends of Kananaskis Country have some great Tips for Roadside Wildlife Viewing for motorists and cyclists.
Grizzly bear seen feeding on Dandelions in K-Country on June 16, 2025.
Most mother elk have now had their calves and the youngsters are up and running around. Female elk will still aggressively defend their calves by kicking and charging at you if they feel threatened. The presence of calves also attracts predators such as bears, cougars, wolves and coyotes so be aware of your surroundings, even on popular and well visited trails around town and along the river.
Elk calves are often hidden in dense vegetation along the trails so extra vigilance is required. The best way to keep them at ease is to stay at least 30m away - which is three school bus lengths. If you see any elk, immediately leave the area and DO NOT TRY TO SNEAK PAST THEM. Even bikers should not be trying to sneak past elk on the trails. Stay on open trails instead of walking through dense vegetation, keep pets on a leash and always carry bear spray and be prepared to use it when recreating anywhere in the valley. With bears being seen around Canmore, and aggressive mother elk protecting their calves, it is a good idea to be carrying your bear spray whenever you leave the house to go out for a walk, run or ride!
Cow elk with her calf. Remember to stay away from all elk, at least 30m, which is 3 school bus lengths, and never try to sneak past them!
VIEW CURRENT WARNINGS AND CLOSURES
SOME THINGS TO ‘BEAR’ IN MIND
It is very important to properly manage wildlife attractants such as food and garbage while hiking, camping and at Day Use Areas. If you see garbage on the ground, pick it up and put it in a bear-proof bin. If the bin is full, take the garbage home with you, but never leave garbage on the ground. It sounds like common sense, but never feed any wildlife (yes, that includes squirrels and chipmunks) and never leave food unattended, even for a minute.
Keep a BEAR FREE Campsite! Even open and closed beverage containers are considered a wildlife attractant. Bears will bite and puncture beer and pop cans to drink the contents as they contain a lot of calories and sugar! Attractants must be stored inside a hard-sided vehicle/trailer, or locker at night (not in your tent) and when you’re away during the day. Attractants include coolers, food, beverages, toiletries, pet food, garbage, recyclables and other scented items.
Officials will remove unattended attractants if they are not stored correctly, and an enforcement action may follow! All park visitors and campers need to be extra vigilant in securing their food and other items that attract wildlife, even when they are still at their campsite or picnic area. It is important to always have your bear spray ready and available, just in case you get any unwanted four-legged visitors.
Alberta Parks signage on picnic tables in campgrounds and day use areas to remind visitors about proper storage of wildlife attractants.
WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR WORDS OF WISDOM
Wildlife Ambassador Karen is back to remind people to respect all wildlife and leave the flowers for others to enjoy. Not only is picking wildflowers illegal in Alberta parks, but picking flowers actually kills some plants.
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. Note: their locations may change at the last minute. June 21 - Boulton Campground Store & all Campgrounds in Peter Lougheed PP Facility Zone
June 22 - Grizzly Paw Community BBQ in Canmore.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT?
Buffaloberries will start to ripen in the weeks to come. Please be proactive and remove berry bushes and fruit trees from your yard NOW before you attract a bear into town. Your tree blossoms will blossom into bear problems later! 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 destroyed.
The first buffaloberries starting to show up early in Canmore. Photo taken on June 17, 2025.
To make Canmore safer for wildlife and people, the Town of Canmore is once again offering their Fruit Tree Removal Incentive Program this year to cover 100% of the cost of tree removal up to $500/property. For 2025 only, condos or commercial properties with five or more trees for removal may be eligible for additional support up to $1,000/property. Don't wait for the fruit to start growing, remove them early. The program is first-come first-served while funds are available. Click here for details and how to apply.
Chokecherries can be the pits for bears! Photo taken on June 12, 2025.
WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS
Grizzly bears, cougars, sheep and deer met without incident during G7.
Black bear rips into tent in Kananaskis campground in search of food.
UPDATED: Bold black bear feasting on sausages, cheese and wraps captured and collared.
Wildlife overpass renamed after former Alberta premier.
‘It was terrifying’: B.C. hiker describes encounter with cougar on popular trail near Whistler.
‘Not based on science’: internal government scramble to expand Alberta cougar hunt.
These First Nations kids played a song to attract grizzly bears — and it worked.
Elderly dog squares off with bear inside California home while owner sleeps.
First Nation renews offer to host Texada Island grizzly bear but province remains cool.
Texada Island grizzly bear not a candidate for relocation, officials say.
Mother black bear shot dead after woman attacked in her B.C. backyard.
Electric fences, drones, dogs protect G7 leaders from bear attack.
Black bear finally freed of lid that was stuck on its neck for 2 years in Michigan.
AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS
June 21, 2025, is National Indigenous Peoples Day! This is a day for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and ongoing contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples. For generations, many Indigenous peoples and communities have celebrated their culture and heritage on or near this day due to the significance of the summer solstice as the longest day of the year.
Are you in the Bow Valley and looking to be a part of the celebrations? The Town of Banff will host Indigenous performances, an Indigenous artisans market, cultural activities & conversations and more, all free and accessible to residents and visitors, with the collaboration of the Banff Centre for the Arts and Creativity and the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies.
Saturday June 21 in Banff Central Park from 12-6pm. Click here for the list of activities and schedule for the day!
Photo from Town of Banff website.
UPCOMING EVENTS
June 20 - Indigenous Cultural Learning Workshop #3: Film Screening and Panel Discussion
The Town of Canmore is hosting the Indigenous Cultural Learning Workshop #3: Film Screening and Panel Discussion with Îyârhe Nakoda Youth Program on Friday June 20 from 1:30-3pm at artsPlace in Canmore. Click here to learn more and register for this workshop now!
June 22 - Grizzly Paw Community BBQ
The Grizzly Paw is once again hosting their annual Community BBQ Extravaganza this Sunday, June 22 from 11am-3pm at their Brewery Backyard! This family-friendly, pet-friendly, cool-person-friendly event involves live music, FREE hot dogs, FREE soda, and FREE brewery tours (limited spaces) as well as numerous games and activities. Our Wildlife Ambassadors will be there with their hands-on interactive booth. Come on by, learn how to use bear spray and chat with them about responsible trail use and how we can all work together to improve human-wildlife coexistence!
June 23 - Earth Talks: Meet Some Bow Valley Birds!
June in the Rockies is an amazing time to see a wide variety of birdlife. Join lifelong learner and bird lover Gareth Thomson for a family-friendly walk to see and learn about some of the birdlife in our own backyard! This free Earth Talks event requires registration and will take place on Monday, June 23rd at 7pm at the Canmore Public Library. Click here for more info and to register now!
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