A cat has nine lives, but how many does a grizzly bear have?
Once again, famed female bear 148 made her way onto the Trans-Canada Highway in Banff National Park, this time on Sunday (Oct. 23), when she dashed across all four lanes of traffic and then along the Legacy Trail.
Parks Canada wildlife officials say 148 somehow managed to breach the wildlife exclusion fence to get onto the highway on the westbound side near the water tower, just east of the Banff townsite.
“She eventually crossed all the lanes of the highway and onto to the south side and down the Legacy Trail,” said David Gummer, a wildlife ecologist with Banff National Park.
“She was sort of walking and running along the fence, and actually appeared to be limping. Staff were able to get ahead of her and cut the fence open so they could haze her through to the safe side.”
Gummer said wildlife staff don’t know what caused 148 to be limping or how serious a possible injury is.
“It did seem to lessen as staff worked with her longer,” he said.
Parks Canada is replacing the wildlife exclusion fence between the east park gate and the Sunshine interchange.
The $26 million project includes better fencing alignment, current standard fencing components such as aprons, access gates for patrols, connections to wildlife structures, jump outs, electro-mats and remote wildlife cameras.
“We don’t know how she got in,” Gummer said.
“We’ve also been working over the previous weeks on patching some small gaps when we do find them. We’re continuing to search for any conspicuous gaps she might use.”
Bear 148 has made her way onto the Trans-Canada Highway several times, including walking the Legacy Trail that parallels the eastbound lanes of the highway between Banff and Canmore.
She’s been known to cross Texas gates at both the Sunshine and Norquay interchanges, and make her way onto the highway near Harvie Heights.
In late August, 148 made it onto the highway side of the fence and was seen sprinting down the Legacy Trail, unsuccessfully trying to climb the fence.
“She is adept at finding even the slightest gap, even sometimes walking across the Texas gates,” Gummer said.
Bear 148 is the daughter of famed bear 64, who died at the age of 23 several years ago. DNA evidence also confirms she is also the offspring of bear 122, the dominant male in Banff National Park.
She’s about six years old and is coming into breeding age. She has been fitted with a GPS collar by Parks Canada so managers can keep track of her whereabouts.
Gummer said hopefully bear 148 will head into a den soon.
“I guess she’ll den in the next few weeks if it gets a little colder and snowier,” he said.
“The females den as early as late October or into early November, where some of the males are more active into late November and early December.”
Gummer said he’s unaware of any reports of her in the vicinity of potential males to breed with, or whether she avoided them.
“She’s certainly at that age where she may have bred this year and could show up potentially next year with young of year – or it could be the following year,” he said.
