Latest news with #AlbertaParks
CTV News
7 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Lone wolf in K-Country not afraid of people: Alberta Parks
Alberta Parks says a lone grey wolf, believed to have become food-habituated, has been seen approaching campground and roadways in Kananaskis Country. (Pexels) A lone wolf is causing problems in Kananaskis Country, the provincial government says. In a statement to CTV News, Alberta Parks said it has received reports of 'increased encounters' with a lone grey wolf in Kananaskis Country. The animal appears to have lost its fear of people and has been seen numerous times in campgrounds and along roadways. 'While we cannot confirm what has caused this behaviour, the wolf may have accessed or received human food or rewards from the public, potentially leading to it becoming food-conditioned,' officials said. 'Food-conditioned animals are at higher risk for being involved in human-wildlife conflicts. For this reason, we ask that the public never feed or approach wildlife.' The province said conservation officers and Alberta Parks staff are monitoring the situation and are taking steps to discourage the wolf from approaching people. No closures have been associated with the behaviour of this animal. All sightings of this wolf or other food-habituated wildlife should be reported to Kananaskis Emergency Services at 403-591-7755.
CBC
20-07-2025
- CBC
Grizzly bear bluff charges lead to Kananaskis closures, warnings
Seven bear advisories — five warnings and two closures — are currently in place throughout Kananaskis Country, including at popular hiking trails and in an area near the town of Canmore. Two separate grizzly bear encounters are behind two of the advisories: a warning at the Bill Milne trail from Wedge Pond to Mount Allan Drive effective July 8, and a closure of the Rawson Lake trail and Sarrail Ridge area effective July 11. Both cases involved grizzly bears bluff-charging hikers, according to Alberta Parks. Laurie Brewster told CBC News she was hiking the Rawson Lake trail with her daughter on July 11 when she saw a grizzly bear with cubs charge another group of hikers. "It gets your heart pounding, for sure, when you can see how fast they run, and you're not sure what their intentions are," she said. She was a safe distance away from what happened, but said she reached out to Alberta Parks to provide details of what she witnessed ahead of the closure being put in place. "When she did the bluff charge, we heard people yelling 'bear, bear' really loud," Brewster said. "I understand it probably is not going to result in an attack when you see them bluff charge, but it's still a scary thing to witness," she said. Bluff charges typically occur when a bear feels threatened or is caught by surprise, bear safety expert Kim Titchener said. "If you aren't making noise … the problem now is that bear thinks that you were trying to sneak up on them, and that means that they're going to feel threatened," she said. "And if they have cubs with them, they're going to feel like you must be sneaking up on them because you want to take their cubs away or hurt their cubs." "They hear us coming, or they smell us coming, and they generally get out of the way," she said. But Brewster said the incident she saw seemed to defy that. "The thing about this bluff charge that's surreal is it wasn't a surprise encounter, because [Sarrail Ridge] is fully open and fully exposed," she said. "So that's why I wasn't understanding why she was running, because nobody's surprised her." Alberta Parks bear advisories remain in place until the bears in question leave the area, Ministry of Forestry and Parks press secretary Neil Singh told CBC News in a statement. He said incidents reported between July 11 and 16 include "a grizzly with two cubs charging hikers near Sarrail Ridge, a bluff charge by a grizzly near the University of Calgary Research Station, and a grizzly approaching hikers on the Smutwood Trail before walking away." He did not confirm how many people were involved in any of the incidents or whether there were any injuries. Commonwealth Valley and surrounding area is closed effective July 15 due to "multiple grizzly bears frequenting and feeding in the area," according to Alberta Parks. "The Kananaskis grizzly bear aversive conditioning program, in place since 2000, plays a key role in reducing conflicts and promoting coexistence," Singh said. Warnings for an increase in black bear sightings are in place for Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park and the Grassi Lakes trail system and neighbouring Reclaimer Trail. A warning is in place for all Peter Lougheed Provincial Park campgrounds, effective June 18, after "a black bear accessed and damaged an unoccupied tent at Boulton Creek Campground, which contained food attractants," according to Alberta Parks. It's unclear whether the bear accessed any human food, the warning reads. There have also been other black bear sightings at the campground, contributing to the warning. Titchener said bears are more likely to be seen along trails and near campgrounds at this time of year as they seek out buffaloberries, which often grow in places that have experienced human disturbance. "I know that people often want to walk on some of the more popular trails, or they think, 'Oh, I'm in the campground, I'm fine, I'm not going to see a bear,'" she said. "The reality is that our bear population, they're on the sides of the trails right now, they're in the campgrounds sometimes, because they're seeking out areas where there's lots of berries." Titchener said bears at campsites are also at risk of being exposed to human food and becoming food-conditioned, resulting in them needing to be relocated or euthanized. "The bears are feeding on berries, and they walk by a campsite and [campers have] left the cooler out or any type of food," she said. "That bear might be tempted to come in and feed on that food source, which puts that bear at risk for having to be put down."
CTV News
11-07-2025
- CTV News
Grizzly bluff charges hiker, prompting bear warning at Kananaskis trail
Alberta Parks has issued a bear warning for a trail in Kananaskis after a grizzly bluff charged a hiker. The warning for Bill Milne Trail was issued on July 8 and will remain in place until further notice. The warning encompasses the area from Wedge Pond to Mound Allan Drive. Alberta Parks warns that bears can be encountered anywhere in the Kananaskis region at any time. To avoid a surprise encounter with a bear, it's advised visitors follow the below tips: Keep all attractants secure, including food, garbage, recycling, pet food and any other scented items. Never leave these items unattended; Make plenty of noise and travel in groups; Be aware of surroundings. Look and listen for bears and their signs; Keep pets on a leash; and Carry bear spray and make sure it's easily accessible. If you spot a bear, you can report your sighting to Alberta Parks by calling 403-591-7755.
Ottawa Citizen
15-06-2025
- Ottawa Citizen
As Kananaskis locks down for the G7 summit, Banff carries on with its touristy vibe
Article content BANFF/KANANASKIS — The Mounties guarding a roadblock on Highway 40 weren't in the mood for small talk. Article content 'I apologize that I can't smile for your photo,' said one officer in a Quebecois accent Sunday morning. Article content Article content All around him were sun-dappled crags while a spring gurgled peacefully out of a forest nearby. Article content Article content But there was no doubting the seriousness with which the officers took their task. Nobody without special accreditation is allowed to venture past this point. Article content Concrete blocks had formed a choke point adjacent to the Baldy Pass hiking turnout, about five kilometres north of the main roadblock at Mt. Lorette Ponds. Article content Any intruder blasting through this preliminary checkpoint would no doubt be intercepted at the more heavily fortified barrier down the road, the main highway shield for G7 leaders and their guests meeting at Kananaskis Village. Article content Alberta Parks staff at the Barrier Lake information centre nearby said sightseer traffic was down considerably, replaced by security convoys that included Canadian Armed Forces light armoured vehicles. Article content Article content The only noticeable security on Sunday was RCMP personnel guarding the International Media Centre located at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Article content Article content There, smiling Mounties navigated golf carts within view of the stately Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel below. Article content Article content Others checked accreditation carried by some of the 1,400 journalists converging on Banff to chronicle the annual event, running from June 15-17, that has attracted 2,000 diplomatic personnel. Article content Down in the town, nearly 3,000 participants completed the Banff Half Marathon like they would in any other, while the mountain resort's streets teemed with foot and vehicular traffic. Article content It was hard to tell the G7 in Kananaskis had spilled over into Banff, where on its main street, a Mountie could be seen fraternizing with visitors, more of a tourist attraction than anything.
Calgary Herald
15-06-2025
- Calgary Herald
As Kananaskis locks down for the G7 summit, Banff carries on with its touristy vibe
Article content BANFF/KANANASKIS — The Mounties guarding a roadblock on Highway 40 weren't in the mood for small talk. Article content 'I apologize that I can't smile for your photo,' said one officer in a Quebecois accent Sunday morning. Article content Article content All around him were sun-dappled crags while a spring gurgled peacefully out of a forest nearby. Article content Article content But there was no doubting the seriousness with which the officers took their task. Nobody without special accreditation is allowed to venture past this point. Article content Concrete blocks had formed a choke point adjacent to the Baldy Pass hiking turnout, about five kilometres north of the main roadblock at Mt. Lorette Ponds. Article content Any intruder blasting through this preliminary checkpoint would no doubt be intercepted at the more heavily fortified barrier down the road, the main highway shield for G7 leaders and their guests meeting at Kananaskis Village. Article content Alberta Parks staff at the Barrier Lake information centre nearby said sightseer traffic was down considerably, replaced by security convoys that included Canadian Armed Forces light armoured vehicles. Article content Article content The only noticeable security on Sunday was RCMP personnel guarding the International Media Centre located at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Article content Article content There, smiling Mounties navigated golf carts within view of the stately Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel below. Article content Article content Others checked accreditation carried by some of the 1,400 journalists converging on Banff to chronicle the annual event, running from June 15-17, that has attracted 2,000 diplomatic personnel. Article content It was hard to tell the G7 in Kananaskis had spilled over into Banff, where on its main street, a Mountie could be seen fraternizing with visitors, more of a tourist attraction than anything.
