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 (August 28, 2025)
(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park)
Bears continue to be seen regularly in the Bow Valley and Kananaskis Country with their heads down, focused on feeding on berries and other natural food sources. This makes it crucial that we do not leave any food out (at home and on the trails), and any patch of berries, large or small, could be hiding a bear so people need to be cognizant of this. Do not try to sneak past bears and don’t expect bears to move off a food source. Bears can be very possessive of their berry patches and may exert their dominance. Give them the space they need to forage undisturbed. To avoid negative wildlife encounters, make lots of noise to alert wildlife of your presence, travel in groups, stay on designated trails, keep dogs on a leash at all times, be extra aware of your surroundings (looks for fresh scat) and always carry bear spray in an easily accessible location (not your backpack) and know how to use it!
How to Handle a Bear encounter? Remember these 3 simple words – Stop, Talk, & Walk.
If you see a bear: STOP: do not run, get out your bear spray, gather your group together, TALK: speak calmly to the bear, it does not matter what you say or what language you say it in. You want to appear non-threatening. Then talk to your group and remind them to stay calm, and slowly back away and do not run. WALK: Do not run and back away slowly leaving the area, and never turn your back on the animal. At any point during the STOP, TALK and WALK, if the bear charges at you, use your bear spray! 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.
With the busy Labour Day weekend coming up alongside a critical feeding phase for bears, it is even more important to properly secure wildlife attractants! Don’t be part of the problem, be part of the solution. Do not leave garbage out on the trails, in parks or day use areas, and do not leave any food unattended - even for a minute. ALL attractants need to be secured in your vehicle, hard-sided trailer or bear-proof lockers. Take out food only as you need it. This way, you can avoid having too much food out at any one time.
What do I do if a bear approaches my picnic table and food? If a bear approaches your picnic table with food on it, yell and shout to try to scare the bear away. If a bear is feeding at or approaching your picnic table, it is an appropriate time to use your bear spray. It is important that you do your best to secure your food and make sure bears do not get any food rewards. A fed bear is a dead bear. Any reason a bear has to feed on human food could result in bears getting relocated or killed.
Remote camera shot of grizzly bear with cubs! Photo courtesy of the Government of Alberta.
VIEW CURRENT WARNINGS AND CLOSURES
ATTENTION: Elk Rut Season Advisory. The elk rutting season has begun and will last until mid-October - Male (Bull) elk can be very dangerous!
SOME THINGS TO ‘BEAR’ IN MIND
The elk rutting season has begun 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.
Photo by Amar Athwal.
Properly managing and storing wildlife attractants (such as food, drinks and garbage) is of utmost importance as bears continue to be seen in and around campgrounds and day use areas! If you plan on doing some camping, remember to keep your campsite clean and garbage free! Make sure that bear attractants such as garbage, food and scented items are kept in vehicles or hard-sided trailers while camping. If you are camping in the backcountry, please use the bear proof lockers and bear hangs (if provided). Plan your campsite appropriately and ensure proper separation of cooking area, tent site and food storage.
WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR WORDS OF WISDOM
Parks Canada, Alberta Parks, and even the US National Parks System tell you to stay 100 m away from bears. What does that look like? In this short video below, Wildlife Ambassadors Derek & Karen will show you what it looks like to be 100 m or 100 yards away from a bear, but how you can STILL get great photos of them!
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.
August 29 - Canmore River Trails | August 30 - Kananaskis Visitor Information Centre (KVIC)
FOOD FOR THOUGHT?
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. Every month we’re going to look at what bears are eating right now, and for the next few weeks, and in this edition of What are the Bears eating today? by Derek Ryder, Volunteer Wildlife Ambassador & IGA Interpretive Guide, it is Dogwood.
Every year, starting in late August or September – not long after the shepherdia berries are all eaten or have dried up – bears turn to another popular food: the berries of the Red Osier Dogwood bush, Cornus sericea. This is a plant with many names. It’s also called red brush, red willow, redstem dogwood, redtwig dogwood, red-rood, American dogwood, creek dogwood, and western dogwood. There are many other kinds of Dogwood in North America, but only Red Osier and its much smaller cousin, the Bunchberry, grow in Alberta. Red Osier Dogwoods look willow-like, but have distinctive red stems that turn even more red after the first frosts. Click here to read Derek’s full article about Dogwood!
Click on this image of Dogwood to read the full article!
Fruit trees and shrubs are the main attractants that will draw bears into residential areas and NOW is the time to remove the fruit before a bear points out the problem. 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. 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.
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.
If you prefer to remove your fruit tree (recommended), the Town of Canmore is running their Fruit Tree Removal and Replacement Incentive Program. Residents can get financial help to remove and replace fruit-bearing trees that attract bears into neighbourhoods. These programs are first-come first-served while funds are available. Click here for details and how to apply.
WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS
Fisher expected to recover after grizzly attack in southern Alberta.
#TheMoment a grizzly bear attacked a travel blogger’s tent in Mt. Assiniboine PP in B.C.
Kenai woman seriously injured after bear attacks her while jogging in Alaska.
Doorbell camera catches bear sneaking up on and charging Florida man.
B.C. residents reminded about bear-aware messaging ahead of fruit harvest.
Multiple cougar sightings reported in the Kimberley, B.C. area.
Teacher stares down a bear at school in Iwate, Japan.
Watch girl face off with Black Bear in her driveway in New Jersey.
Grizzly bears moving closer to Montana towns sparks delisting push.
South Okanagan authorities remind people to store food as bears prepare for winter.
A dad shared the terrifying story of how his face was torn off by a grizzly bear.
AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS
This past week, 8 proactive residents have borrowed our fruit picking equipment to remove the fruit from their trees, including crabapples, cherries and mountain ash! The longer residents wait to remove the fruit from their trees, the higher the chance that a bear will show up and get into trouble.
Removing the fruit BEFORE it is ripe is recommended, but removing the fruit tree itself is the best long-term solution. Fruit trees can be replaced with ornamental, non-fruit bearing trees, that produce beautiful blossoms but are not wildlife attractants. Be proactive like these residents to help keep bears and people safe in the Bow Valley!
A Canmore resident using our extendable fruit picker to harvest crabapples!
Banff Ave Brewing Co. Charity Tap - Cheers to Local Conservation!
Have you gotten your pint yet? A huge thank you to Banff Ave Brewing Co. for choosing the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley and WildSmart as beneficiaries of their Community Beer program until the end of September!
Every pint of their crushable Dragonfruit Kölsch supports the Biosphere Institute—so treat yourself to something freshly juicy and help our local environment at the same time. Get yours before it’s gone! Thank you, Banff Ave Brewing Co., for your incredible support!
UPCOMING EVENTS
September 4 - Learning in the Gardens: Living Smart with Wildlife
Join us in the NWMP Barracks gardens for an engaging evening of wildlife safety and awareness with Nick de Ruyter, WildSmart Program Director at the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley. This FREE interactive workshop will help you stay safe and coexist responsibly with the wildlife that share our valley. With berry season winding down, we turn our attention to fruit tree attractants and the upcoming elk rut – two key challenges for people and wildlife alike. Learn practical skills and knowledge, including:
How to avoid and handle wildlife encounters in the Bow Valley
How to manage attractants at home and on the trails (fruit trees, food, and garbage)
How to safely carry and use bear spray, with hands-on practice using inert training spray
Why reporting wildlife in town matters, and why we don’t want bears in our backyards
The workshop will conclude with a Q&A and discussion on how you can play a role in building a community of coexistence. Limited spots available - Register here now!
September 8 - Earth Talks: Relational Forest Bathing with Margaret
Earth Talks are Back! Join the Biosphere Institute and the Canmore Public Library for a special, interactive Earth Talk on Monday, September 8 at 6:30pm in the Friends Program Room at the Canmore Public Library and along Policeman’s Creek Trail. Slow Down and Listen In with Margaret McKeon is an evening designed to help you cultivate a deeper relationship with the land. The session begins with a short presentation and guided meditation, followed by a forest bathing walk along Policeman’s Creek.
What to expect:
A new perspective on being in relationship with the land and the more-than-human world
A felt sense of slowing down and tuning in to place
Practical ideas for weaving this connection into daily life
Please dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes. Limited spots available.
Click here to Register for free today!
September 11 - Harnessing the Power of Food Workshop
Join the Biosphere Institute and the Co+Kitchen for an event all about Harnessing the Power of Food! Connect with community and food through hands-on cooking workshops that bring people together over planet-friendly, sustainable meals.
Workshop #1: Every Day Meals: Tofu Pita Burger, Pita bread, Salad with Canadian-harvested veggies on September 11, 2025 starting at 6pm (doors open at 5:30pm).
Tickets: $15 (If you have any questions or would like to request a subsidized ticket, please contact Yuka Ozawa at 403-763-1388.)
All menus are thoughtfully curated to highlight international flavours while using locally accessible ingredients. Each class offers a unique cultural experience through hands-on cooking, complemented by prepared items and live demos that showcase global inspiration rooted in our local food landscape. Click here to save your spot now!
September 11 to October 19 - EV’s are for Everyone Cross-Canada Tour!
We are proud to partner with national nonprofit Plug’n Drive, a trusted source for electric vehicle education and test drives, to bring the 2025 EV’s are for Everyone Cross-Canada Tour to Banff and Canmore! During the event you can 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.
Banff MEET
This event will take place in Banff from September 11 to 28, 2025, every Thursday to Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Banff Train Station, 327 Railway Ave, Banff, AB T1L 1A1.
Click Here to Book your Banff Test drive!
Canmore MEET
This event will take place in Canmore from October 2 to 19th, every Thursday to Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Canmore Recreation Centre, 1900 8 Ave., Canmore.
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