Several bear warnings issued in Rockies west of Calgary after surprise encounters

Several bear warnings are in place in Kananaskis Country after some surprise encounters with both black and grizzly bears.

The 4,000-square-kilometre area in the foothills and on the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies, west of Calgary, is made up of provincial parks and recreation areas.

Alberta Parks officials have posted online a bear warning at a construction site on Highway 40, east of the Kananaskis Golf Course, after someone surprised a grizzly bear.

Closer to Calgary, another warning is in effect in the West Bragg Creek provincial recreation area after another encounter with a grizzly bear led to a bluff charge.

And most of the biking trails on Moose Mountain were closed last week until further notice, because a black bear was feeding on a carcass.

An area in Banff National Park, just west of Kananaskis, also remains closed after two people and their border collie were killed by a grizzly bear last weekend.

The Red Deer and Panther valleys from the Snow Creek summit east to the national park boundary and north to Shale Pass were closed as a safety precaution until further notice.

Parks officials remind people visiting the areas that bears can be encountered anywhere at any time.

Experts have also noted it’s a time when bears are feeding intensely to put on weight before winter and hibernation, so they can be easily surprised.

Officials recommend that people travel in groups and make lots of noise, be aware of their surroundings, keep their pets on a leash, and carry bear spray and know how to use it.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 6, 2023.

by The Canadian Press