Parks Canada killed four bull elk this fall that were either highly aggressive or seeking refuge inside the Banff townsite from predators like wolves and cougars.
The fourth elk was killed Oct. 24 while the other three were put down earlier this fall. Two of the elk showed aggressive behaviour, including one that attacked a jogger at the Banff rec grounds in late August.
“They’d taken up a life history strategy to avoid interactions with things like wolves and cougars and were occupying the town seeking refuge in built-up areas,” said Bill Hunt, resource conservation manager for Banff National Park.
“This not only presents a risk to residents and visitors, but they can end up building their harems in town and that can lead to cows having calves in town. That then becomes the cycle of attracting carnivores into town.”
A bull elk that charged the jogger at the Banff recreation grounds in late August was killed earlier this fall. The jogger grabbed the elk by the antlers and tried to push it away, but the elk pursued him from behind until the jogger could escape to cover.
The elk destroyed on Oct. 24 was tagged last year and has been consistently inside the townsite, including Central Park, the Banff train station and in the area around Banff Elementary School, as well as Mineral Springs Hospital.
Hunt said bull elk are typically more resistant to hazing than cow elk, noting this particular elk wasn’t learning his lesson.
“Even using things like rubber bullets, this fellow would take a short flight response, turn around and come straight back into town,” he said.
“There’s other bulls that will come in occasionally, but will live on the periphery. They’re more inclined to move out.”
Banff’s long-term elk management strategy allows for Parks Canada to control Banff’s elk population within acceptable densities, for both environmental and public safety reasons.
The strategy historically allowed for up to 20 elk to be culled, typically the most aggressive or more habituated townsite elk, known as townies.
“Some years the cull is zero and some years it might be up to 10 or 12 animals,” said Hunt.
The Banff townsite has essentially been declared an elk-free zone since 1999 as part of Parks Canada’s elk management strategy to reduce elk attacks and restore natural ecological processes.
The 1990s saw unnaturally high elk numbers as they sought a safe haven from predators and were attracted to urban-style gardens and lawns, which have been described as crack cocaine for elk.
At the height of the population explosion, large numbers of elk also damaged the environment and destroyed areas of aspen and willow which are key to the survival of songbirds and beavers.
Back then, there was an average of five elk attacks a year and as many as 100 aggressive encounters annually, including an attack on a toddler as he played in his backyard in 1998.
Parks Canada asks that all elk incidents be reported at 403-762-1470.
