A run-in with a grizzly bear has closed an area of an Alberta park until further notice.
On Monday, Alberta Parks closed trails in Kent Ridge due to grizzly activity in the area.
The closure includes Kent Ridge Trail Access to Kent Ridge North, Mount Kent and Kent South Peak.
Kevin Van Tighem, former superintendent of Banff National Park and author of Bears: Without Fear, suspects the bear that was encountered likely came out of its slumber to get a bit of sunshine.
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“This time of year in particular, as the days get longer and brighter, and you get some spells of good weather, bears will start to stir a little bit, come out, maybe hang around the mouth of the den and go back in,” Van Tighem said.
He said he’s heard of a case of a bear in Waterton National park not hibernating for the winter, instead tracking a wolf pack and stealing their kills for foods to make it through the winter.
Van Tighem said bears are often hungry when they wake from their slumber.
“For a bear, his whole life is about food, because they’ve got to build that fat (for hibernation). And then when they burn it off, they’ve got to replace it,” he said.
“They don’t wake up starving, but they certainly wake up motivated.
A map shows the area closed in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park following a grizzly bear encounter.
Alberta Parks
“We have large bears in the Bow Valley, and usually by the end of March, they’re on the railway tracks looking for spilled grain. Mothers and cubs more commonly hang around the den and don’t emerge until mid April to late April.”
Van Tighem said warmer temperatures from climate change is changing bear behaviour.
“With the changing climate we’ve got, we are seeing bears hibernate later and get up earlier. So people got to be ready to encounter a bear pretty much any time of the year. It can happen any time.”
Alberta sees most grizzly attacks in Canada
According to data compiled by Sportingpedia, Alberta had the most wildlife attacks from 2010 to 2021, among Canadian provinces and territories.
Parks Canada data showed in that time span, 3,726 wildlife attacks were registered in Alberta. British Columbia came in second with 293 and Saskatchewan was third with 157.
In Alberta, elk are most likely to attack, with 2,299 attacks tallied in more than a decade of Parks Canada data. Grizzly bears come in second with 431 and black bears third with 243.
Grizzly attacks happen more often in Alberta than any other province, the compiled data shows.
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Parks Canada estimates there are around 20,000 grizzly bears that remain in western Alberta, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and British Columbia.
Officials say avoidance is the best approach to a bear encounter.
Making noise helps make bears aware of the presence of humans, but bear bells are not advised to be sufficient to make that noise.
Travellers are advised to watch for fresh signs of bears, such as tracks, droppings, diggings or overturned rocks.
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Dogs should be kept on leash at all times, and larger size groups are less likely to have a serious bear encounter.
Carrying bear spray can help defend hikers, when used properly.
And keeping a tidy campground, free of unsecured food and/or fish parts, can help not attract bears.
Alberta Parks asks hikers to report all bear sightings immediately by calling 403-591-7755.