CATHY ELLIS BANFF
It’s been a deadly week for wildlife in the mountain national parks.
A wolf pup was killed on Highway 93 South in Kootenay National Park, Monday (July 11) and resource conservation officials were forced to destroy a predatory black bear at Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park last week.
Parks Canada officials say they had no choice but to kill the bear, which had displayed predatory behaviour, including bluff charging a fisherman and mountain bikers, as well as forcing a group of hikers into the lake.
“Resource conservation personnel determined a predatory black bear in and around the lake presented too great a threat to visitors and residents,” said Omar McDadi, a spokesperson for Parks Canada.
“The bear was put down. Predatory bear attacks are extremely rare and bears generally prefer to avoid people, but it was done with visitor safety in mind.”
McDadi said four visitors to the Emerald Lake area were followed by a persistent black bear that was acting in a predatory way on June 29 around 9 a.m.
He said the four were hiking in a tight group, without bear spray, about one kilometre from the lodge on the east side of the lake when the bear approached.
“The bear was persistent and kept closing the distance, at one point getting as close 1.5 metres away from the group,” he said.
“The group jumped into the lake with the bear following them into the water, but not going deep enough to have to swim.”
McDadi said one member of the party swam further down the lake, got back on the trail and ran to Emerald Lake Lodge for help.
He said a separate party of two hikers came upon the remaining three people and the bear in the lake, and as a group of five, they were able to drive the bear away.
“From start to finish, the bear encounter lasted approximately 40 minutes,” he said.
McDadi said the hikers handed over photos of the bear. It was a single adult black, medium-large in size, with “leggy” or skinny features.
He said several other parties that had been out hiking in the area that morning reported being followed by a black bear. There had been other incidents on other days, too.
McDadi said the Emerald Lake Loop and adjacent trails were closed at 10:30 a.m. and swept on foot and by helicopter in search of any remaining hikers and the bear.
“The bear was not located, but fresh scat was collected from close to the encounter site,” he said.
Two traps were set on either end of Emerald Lake Loop Trail. Bear scat was collected and DNA evidence determined it was the same black bear involved in all incidents.
Meanwhile, the female wolf killed was a young-of-year pup, which was hit at about 2 p.m. on July 11, two kilometres south of the Floe Lake trailhead parking lot.
