Bear Report - July 24, 2025

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Please report any sightings of a bear, cougar, wolf or any aggressive wildlife in the Bow Valley or K-Country to Kananaskis Dispatch at 403-591-7755. In Banff, call Dispatch at 403.762.1470. They prefer to get the reports first hand from the people who see the wildlife!

BEAR ACTIVITY UPDATE (July 24, 2025)

(Banff National Park East Gate to Bow Valley Provincial Park)

There continue to be numerous bear sightings and reports of bears feeding on berries along trails, roadsides, in residential areas, and campgrounds throughout the Bow Valley and Kananaskis Country resulting in several new warnings and closures to be put in place. Berries are out in full force with a bumper crop and bears have been in the news all week! Be prepared and on the lookout for bears feeding on buffaloberries while you recreate, as many berry bushes are found along popular trails. Making lots of noise is the best way to alert bears of your presence and it gives them time to clear the area. That being said, bears will be focused on eating berries and even if you make noise, bears may not move off berry patches. As such, you should be expecting close encounters during berry season and always have good situational awareness. Always be aware of your surroundings and give bears the space they need (at least 100 m or 10 school bus lengths) to forage undisturbed in this crucial, short window of time.

A Bear Warning was issued for the Troll Falls Trail area due to a grizzly bear bluff charge which certainly made the headlines. Here is one article related to this incident, and there are several more in the “Wildlife in the News” section below. More on this incident in the “SOME THINGS TO ‘BEAR’ IN MIND” section below.

Mountain bikers and Trail Runners who are moving quickly (and often quietly) need to be making lots of noise (yelling and shouting) on the trails. Bears are feeding on berries very close to trails and bikers/runners are coming up on them quickly with little warning to the bears. In addition to letting wildlife know they are coming down the trail (by making noise), bikers/runners should slow down to avoid surprise encounters with wildlife, especially around blind corners, at the tops of hills, or in areas with thick vegetation and poor sight lines.

Mother grizzly bear and cub in K-Country feeding on buffaloberries. Make lots of noise to alert them to your presence to help avoid those surprise encounters.

Wolf Update: There have been intermittent sightings of a food conditioned and habituated wolf in K-Country. Wolf fearlessly approaching visitors in Kananaskis may be food-conditioned. Some key reminders:

  • Do not feed any wildlife.

  • Do not let the wolf approach you. If it does approach you - use your bear spray if it gets in range.

  • Make sure to report wolf sightings to Kananaskis Dispatch (403-591-7755) right away.

  • Do not approach the wolf on foot or in vehicles as this contributes to habituation and a negative outcome for the wolf.

  • Even though it may be exciting to see a wolf, taking photos and allowing it to get too close, even while in your vehicle, is not helping the wolf in the long term.

Campers: Reminder to campers to be diligent in keeping ALL wildlife attractants secure including food, garbage, recycling, pet food and any other scented items. Lock them in vehicles, hard-sided trailers or bear-proof storage lockers and never leave these items unattended, even for a minute. Never leave food and scented items in tents as bears can easily access them. Always dispose of garbage in bear-proof bins. We can’t prevent bears from walking through our picnic areas and campsites, but we can certainly do our best not to give them a food reward or reason to linger!

Elk: Even though elk calving season is over, this is no time to become complacent. Mother elk will still aggressively defend their calves if they feel threatened by people getting too close! Never approach elk for any reason, stay at least 30 metres (3 school bus lengths) away from all elk and DO NOT TRY TO SNEAK PAST THEM on a trail! Even bikers should not be trying to sneak past elk on the trails. Keep pets on a leash and it is a good idea to be carrying your bear spray whenever you leave the house to go out for a walk, run or ride around Canmore.

VIEW CURRENT WARNINGS AND CLOSURES

Bear Warning - Troll Falls Trail area including the lower portion of Skogan, Troll Falls, Hay Meadows, and the south portion of Stoney Trail due to a grizzly bear bluff charge.

SOME THINGS TO ‘BEAR’ IN MIND

If a bear is feeding along a trail, do not disturb it, and do not try to sneak past it. Wait, turn around, or find another way around giving it lots of space. It is not fair to the bear if you spray it while it is feeding and minding its own business just so you can walk past it. Remember you are in their backyard, not yours, so if they are behaving and doing what they are supposed to, we need to respect that, give them space (at least 100m) and leave them alone.

Here are some of the key lessons learned from the recent grizzly encounter at Troll Falls that prompted the bear warning in K-Country:

  1. Bears can be encountered on busy and popular trails. You should always expect encounters and never be thinking “this is a popular trail so it won't happen to me.”

  2. Always carry bear spray (year-round) in an easily accessible location, like a hip holster, chest holster or belt. Never carry it in your backpack, as you may only have 2 seconds to get it out during a surprise encounter.

  3. Make lots of noise but don’t expect that bears will always move out of the way for you. Bears will walk down trails just like people as it is often the easiest and fastest way to move around. If a bear is walking towards you on a trail, you should back away slowly and if safe to do so, consider getting out of the way by moving off of the trail. If the bear continues past, you were just in the way. If the bear turns to follow you, there is more going on and you should have your bear spray out and be ready to spray the bear.

  4. Do not video tape encounters. You should be focused on handling the encounter properly and not on the video - and you will need both hands to properly use your bear spray. These sorts of videos of bear encounters that get posted and shared often get distorted and sensationalized by the media. This encourages and entices people to try and get videos of bear encounters to share which puts themselves and the bears in dangerous situations.

 
 

Help Shape the Future - The Plan for Parks

Albertans are invited to share their feedback on this updated strategic direction for the recreation and conservation of areas managed under the Provincial Parks Act—including provincial parks, provincial recreation areas, and wildland provincial parks. Click here to review the draft plan, access the online survey, and explore all related engagement materials.
The draft plan focuses on four main goals:

  1. Welcoming and accessible parks for all Albertans, including inclusive programs and Indigenous language integration. 

  2. Conservation of biodiversity and cultural heritage, with stronger partnerships for environmental protection. 

  3. Diverse, nature-based experiences, from quiet wilderness to family recreation. 

  4. Transparent, long-term park management supported by science, sustainability, and community input. 

You have only two days left to help shape this vision! Take the province's online survey by July 26 to share your feedback. 

WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR WORDS OF WISDOM

Wildlife Ambassador Karen reminds us to make noise as a courtesy to wildlife to let them know we’re coming into their home. Heeeyyyyooooo!

WEEKLY WILDLIFE AMBASSADOR WHEREABOUTS

In case you have not seen them yet, our amazing Volunteer Wildlife Ambassadors have been heading out onto trails and trailheads! You can find them talking to people about responsible trail use and staying safe while recreating in bear country. Note: their locations may change at the last minute. July 25 & 26 - Troll Falls in K-Country.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT?

Berry season is here and it certainly is a very good crop this year. This is a crucial feeding period for both black and grizzly bears and they take this job very seriously, eating up to 200,000 berries per day and focusing on it for over 20 hours per day! As such, bears will have their heads down feeding on berries. We need to make extra noise and be vigilant (that means NOT wearing headphones/earbuds) when travelling through bear country, but don’t expect bears to always move out of the way for you. If they find a nice ripe berry patch, they may ignore you because they are focused on eating berries, and they can be very defensive of their berry bushes, especially if surprised. As such, you should always be expecting close encounters during berry season and you should always be carrying bear spray and know how to use it!

 

There are so many ripe buffaloberries in the Canmore area this summer! Remember that they can be red, yellow or orange.

 

Bear scat can be an indication of bear activity in the area. During berry season bear scat looks a lot like strawberry jam! Keep an eye out for it on the trails and do not linger in areas with fresh scat. If you do stumble upon some fresh scat out on the trails, remember to be extra vigilant, make extra noise to alert potential bears of your presence, and consider turning around if you are not prepared to handle a possible encounter with a bear. Always have your bear spray readily accessible!

 

During berry season bear scat looks a lot like strawberry jam!

 

WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS

AND NOW SOME PAWS-ITIVE NEWS

We had a successful ‘Living Smart with Wildlife at Home and on the Trails' presentation with Municipal District of Bighorn residents on Sunday June 29 at Beaupre Community Hall!

There was a good turnout and we had many great questions and discussions about managing wildlife attractants at home and on the trails, avoiding and handling encounters with wildlife, managing wildlife interactions and using bear spray while on a horse, urban wildlife and the dangers of allowing bears to feed in your backyard and in town, the dangers of not reporting wildlife, and learning all about bear spray. Particpants were also able to get some useful hands-on practice with inert bear spray.

Many thanks to Wildlife Ambassador Derek Ryder for his presentation about the ‘Urban Wildlife Dilemma’ and his help educating the wonderful residents of the MD of Bighorn!

Inside Beaupre Community Hall on June 29, 2025.

MD of Bighorn residents getting some hands-on practice with inert bear spray.

CURRENT VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Join the Green Team for a Zero Waste Folk Fest 2025!

If you're passionate about sustainability and want to make a hands-on impact, volunteer with the Green Team at the Canmore Folk Music Festival from Aug.1-4, 2025! You'll help sort compost, recycling, and garbage, supporting the event’s goal to move Towards Zero Waste. Last year, we achieved an incredible 91% waste diversion rate, and we’re aiming even higher this year!

Sign up for two shifts and receive a free full weekend pass. No experience needed, just bring your enthusiasm! It’s a great opportunity to get involved with the community, help the planet, and listen to some great tunes. Sign up here and indicate that you would like to help with the "Environment Team” and we’ll follow up with relevant details.

 
 

UPCOMING EVENTS

August 2 - ‘Share the Trails’ in West Bragg Creek

Following the success of the past ‘Share the Trails’ events in Canmore, the Alberta Equestrian Federation (AEF) is excited to extend the spirit of trail collaboration and education to West Bragg Creek Trailhead, August 2 from 10am-2pm & Sandy McNabb Trailhead, on August 23 from 10am-2pm.

These Trail Safety Days are designed to bring together trail users of all kinds—hikers, bikers, equestrians, dog walkers, and more—for a fun and informative day of outreach, community-building, and shared stewardship. The goal? Promote respectful trail use, improve safety, and build understanding between users, while celebrating the beautiful spaces we all enjoy.

Local outdoor recreation organizations, including the Wildlife Ambassadors, will be on-site for informal conversations about sharing the trails respectfully and safely with others (including horses and wildlife), trail safety and etiquette, and keeping our trails healthy and thriving for the future.

Let’s continue working together to create trail systems that are safe, inclusive, and enjoyable for everyone. Alberta’s trails are for everyone—horseback riders, hikers, mountain bikers, and outdoor lovers of all kinds.

 
 

Please remember BEARS CAN BE ENCOUNTERED ANYWHERE, ANYTIME!

Report any sightings of a bear, cougar, wolf or any aggressive wildlife in Kananaskis Country or the Bow Valley to Kananaskis Dispatch at 403.591.7755