A grizzly bear that ripped into an unoccupied tent at a backcountry campground near Moraine Lake has forced Parks Canada to put in place an annual mandatory hiking restriction for the region.
The incident, which occurred in a backcountry campground in Paradise Valley, happened on June 30. Parks made the announcement on Monday (July 7).
“An unoccupied tent had signs that a bear had gotten into it. There was no food, so we are not sure what attracted the bear to the tent,” said Tania Peters, a media spokesperson for Lake Louise, Yoho and Kootenay.
“The owners of the tent were actually cooking in a designated cooking area about 25 or 30 metres away. There’s a river there, so it’s my understanding they didn’t hear or see a thing, just saw what had happened when they got back to their site.”
The group access hiking restriction means that hikers are legally required to travel in a tight group of four or more in the following areas: Consolation Lakes, Larch Valley, Sentinel Pass, Wasatch Pass, Eiffel Lake, Wenkchemna Pass, Sheol and Paradise Valleys.
Paradise Valley backcountry campground is closed. The Lakeshore and Rockpile trails at Moraine Lake do not fall under group access. Wardens will actively enforce the mandatory hiking rules.
Based on data from the grizzly bear GPS collaring project, Parks Canada has confirmed the bear involved is grizzly bear #142 – a 4.5-year-old female offspring of grizzly bear 72, a resident matriarch grizzly in the Lake Louise area.
Peters said this type of incident is uncommon and in the interest of safety, Parks Canada is taking precautions and putting the group of four hiking access restriction in place before the normal start date of July 12.
“The restriction is being put in place in order to increase public and wildlife safety by minimizing the possibility of conflicts between people and bears,” she said.
Parks Canada provides the following tips for reducing the risk of encountering a bear in the mountain parks: ensure pets are on leash, travel in a group on trails, make noise on trails, remain aware of your surroundings (no ear buds), and have bear spray accessible and know how to use it.
Report large or rare wildlife sightings to our 24-hour dispatch at 403-762-1470.
