A hiker narrowly escaped a charging grizzly bear encounter close to Troll Falls in Kananaskis Country, triggering a bear warning in the area. The incident occurred on Monday, prompting authorities to issue a cautionary advisory for the region until further notice.
The bear warning encompasses Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park, Evan-Thomas Provincial Recreation Area, and popular hiking trails like Stoney Trail, Skogan Pass Trail, and Hay Meadow Trail near Kananaskis Village. Despite the advisory, the warning emphasized that bear encounters could happen at any time.
John Clarke, a former conservation officer in Kananaskis Country and head of the Canadian Bear Safety Authority, stressed the importance of being prepared when entering wildlife-inhabited areas. He recommended carrying bear spray and knowing how to react if encountering animals, highlighting that bears are currently foraging for food after emerging from hibernation in late April.
As bears gear up for the breeding season in late spring and stock up on fat reserves for winter, they become more accustomed to human presence in well-visited areas like K-Country, Banff, and Jasper. Clarke noted that bears in these regions are habituated to people due to high visitor numbers compared to more remote areas.
The bear warning advised hikers to make noise, travel in groups, keep pets leashed, carry bear spray, secure food in bear-proof containers, and report wildlife sightings or incidents to the designated hotline. Despite efforts to obtain a response from the Ministry of Forestry and Parks, CBC News did not receive a reply at the time of publication.
Notably, Kananaskis Country faced a comprehensive bear warning last summer, marking the first Kananaskis-wide alert since 2016.