Grizzly bear 148 was back in Canmore briefly Tuesday, exploring this part of her home, but went back into Banff National Park on her own accord.
Grizzly bear 148 was back in Canmore briefly Tuesday, exploring this part of her home, but went back into Banff National Park on her own accord.
The well-known female grizzly bear was feeding on buffalo berries near the Legacy Trail outside the Banff National Park boundary Tuesday (July 18), prompting a warning from Alberta Environment and Parks.
As of Tuesday evening, she was moving further west back into Banff.
Bill Hunt, resource conservation manager for Banff National Park, said Parks is working to support Alberta agencies to manage the bear and ensure public safety, while allowing 148 to feed on a very important food source – buffalo berries.
He said discussions were held on whether to shepherd bear 148 back to protected federal lands in Banff as she moved eastwards, but that wasn't practical given the bountiful food supply.
“It's not feasible to use hazing to keep her staying away from that many berries,” he said, noting 148 has been working her way down the Bow Valley eating shepherdia berries.
Bear 148 spends 90 per cent of her time in Banff National Park, but over the past couple of years has made the occasional foray into Canmore. This year, she's traveled that way twice.
Following an up-close encounter a couple weeks ago in Canmore, provincial wildlife officials declared bear 148 would be killed if she showed any behaviour on provincially managed land they consider concerning – but it's hoped it won't come to that now.
Depending on circumstances, Hunt said there could be one to three national park staff on the ground in Canmore to support provincial staff with managing grizzly bear 148, doing anything from monitoring to helping actively manage the female bear.
“If she's way up on the slopes behind Harvie Heights or into Georgetown below the Nordic Centre where there's not a lot to worry about, then we'll have one person monitoring with telemetry,” said Hunt. “If she's in a busy area we'll work with the folks in the province to put together any resources we need to manage the bear.”
Grizzly bears are a threatened species in Alberta. Bear 148 bear is female and considered vital to the local population. She was seen with a male bears this spring, leading to hopes she may produce cubs next year.
With a renewed spirit of cooperation between the federal and provincial agencies following an extensive four-hour meeting last week on bear 148's fate, Hunt said he's hopeful for the six-and-a-half-year-old bruin's future.
“That's why we work so hard. We wouldn't work so hard on this bear, otherwise,” he said.
There are red no-go zones for bears and other carnivores in town, including the Quarry Lake area and Peaks of Grassi neighbourhood where grizzly bear 148 has hung out primarily during her last two forays to Canmore.
Jay Honeyman, human-wildlife conflict specialist with Alberta Environment and Parks, said bear 148 is being monitored through her collar so they can keep tabs on where she's going.
“If she shows up in areas where we don't want her to be, and if she gets into those areas, we'll try to move her,” he said, noting it could be a combination of hazing and a more aggressive aversive conditioning depending on resources.
On July 3, resident Jesse Sanderson, who was pushing his young daughter in a stroller and walking a leashed dog in the Quarry Lake region, had a close encounter with bear 148.
The incident prompted Alberta Fish and Wildlife officials to trap and capture 148 later that evening. The bruin was sent back to national park lands in the following days, and released in Kootenay National Park.
The province warned she would be shot and killed if there were any more incidents they considered concerning on provincially managed lands, prompting a public outcry and calls for the bear to be saved. Sanderson said he also didn't want 148 killed.
Honeyman said there's been work this week to remove buffalo berries from the Quarry Lake area, by the Peaks of Grassi neighbourhood and forested area between the dog pond and off-leash area, as well as the Rundleview subdivision.
The work was done with all bears in mind, not just 148, said Honeyman.
“She will come back to Quarry Lake, but when she does she'll think ‘what the heck happened here?',” he said.
“We're trying to manage that by removing hiding cover and food availability for her. She'll look, find there's nothing there and then hopefully move somewhere else.”
Honeyman said he couldn't stress enough how much the public's behaviour and actions also depend on keeping bears alive.
When bear 148 was by the Legacy Trail Tuesday, he said about 50 cyclists rode by – and only one was carrying bear spray.
“There's been a lot of interest and push back on us for trying to manage this situation with this bear for public safety reasons, but we're not seeing people playing the game,” he said.
“People also have to take some responsibility to make this work if they want this bear, and other bears, on the landscape. One out 50 people carrying bear spray – that's unacceptable.”
To avoid a surprise encounter with a bear, make plenty of noise and travel in groups, be aware of your surroundings, look and listen for bears and their signs and keep dogs on a leash.
Residents and visitors are also urged to carry bear spray, have it easily accessible, and know how to use it.
Canmore's Kim Titchener, who advises governments and businesses on bear safety and risk management, said she's grateful bear 148 seems to be getting another chance.
She said she's glad the province and Parks Canada are working together, adding she thinks the chance is higher now that this bear won't be shot and killed.
“This is wonderful news,” she said. “The public has done an incredible job of putting pressure on the government of Alberta.”
