BANFF – Residents are being asked to help keep wildlife safe this Halloween by keeping pumpkins indoors.
Those wanting to carve real jack-o-lanterns for the Oct. 31 celebration are encouraged to display them from an inside window and not on the front doorstep, but short of that, Parks Canada officials say there are many fake pumpkin options to consider.
A town-wide bear warning is still in effect for the Banff townsite with a few persistent hungry black bears in and around town, but the cold and snowy weather will send them into their dens soon, said Parks Canada, while elk and deer will also get into pumpkins given half a chance.
“Residents and businesses are encouraged to display their pumpkins inside a window and ensure they're properly disposed of in designated food waste bins,” said Dylan Spencer, resource conservation manager for Banff National Park field unit.
“If you do want to display pumpkins outdoors, including on balconies, please only use artificial pumpkins.”
During the fall months, bears eat and drink nearly nonstop, needing to put on weight to prepare for winter and hibernation.
Spencer said bears are still around and they are in a food-focused state, known as hyperphagia.
“They become a little less risk averse and more likely to come in town,” he said.
“We haven't seen any grizzly activity recently, but there still is some black bear activity around town.”
If residents don’t want bears relocated or destroyed, then don’t provide them with an easy meal, said Spencer.
“Attractants such as pumpkins can put wild wildlife at risk of being food-conditioned, which increases the risk of human wildlife interactions or conflicts,” he said.
“Unfortunately wildlife that get food-conditioned may display bold or aggressive behaviour, putting the safety of people and the animal ultimately at risk.”
The danger of wildlife attractants was a major issue to come out of the 2018 Bow Valley human-wildlife conflict task force, which came up with 28 recommendations to reduce the probability and severity of wildlife encounters.
The report concluded that preventing food conditioning by securing all animal attractants and preventing the direct or indirect feeding of wildlife was one of the most effective mitigations for reducing human-wildlife occurrences.
With the holiday season around the corner, Parks Canada also asks residents and businesses to remove items like lights, cords, drift fences and decorations that might be hazardous to deer and elk.
Over the years, there have been many cases of ungulates getting tangled in Christmas lights. In some cases, animals need to be immobilized – and that is not without risk – so the lights or wires can be safely removed.
More recently, Spencer said a couple of deer got entangled in string connecting tomato plants this fall.
“Consider keeping festive displays indoors and outdoor lighting should be installed at least 10 feet above the ground, tightly secured with no gaps, loose areas or hanging pieces,” he said.
Any wildlife sightings in the Banff townsite can be reported to Parks Canada dispatch at 403-762-1470.
