KANANASKIS – A prominent mamma grizzly bear struck by a vehicle in Kananaskis Country appears to be recovering well.
Alberta Parks ecologist John Paczkowski said 10-year-old grizzly bear No. 152, who has two cubs in their third year of life, was struck by a truck on Highway 40 early Thursday morning (May 13).
“She was limping and appeared to be injured, but she was still mobile,” he said, noting that bear 152 is fitted with a GPS so bear technicians and conservation officers are continually monitoring her.
“Over the next 24 hours she moved over five kilometres to another area and was observed feeding throughout the day. It’s difficult to notice any external evidence of an injury other than the mild limp.”
As if her day wasn’t bad enough after getting hit by a truck, bear 152 was then observed later that evening fleeing down Highway 40 with a large male grizzly bear in hot pursuit.
“She was moving well enough that she managed to elude or evade that adult male who was probably interested in mating this time of year,” Paczkowski said.
“I could see from a video that she was favouring her hind leg a little bit, but if you’re being chased by a 500-pound grizzly bear you’re probably going to suck it up a little bit and run like hell.”
Bear 152 is the daughter of bear 80, a well-known grizzly bear to Alberta Parks’ managers who has carved out an existence in Kananaskis Country for the last 25 to 26 years.
It’s possible bear 152 will turf out her two cubs on their own this year so she can mate – but that varies from bear to bear. The two-year-old cubs, born in 2019, are her first litter.
“We’ve had some females who as a routine get rid of their cubs in the second year, some third year, some fourth and I’ve seen some stay together for six years,” Paczkowski said.
There are currently at least four female grizzly bears with cubs active in the Highway 40 corridor, which is becoming increasingly busy with visitors as weather warms.
Last year, Kananaskis experienced record visitation of more than 5.4 million people, which puts a lot of pressure and strain on wildlife trying to eke out an existence.
A series of no-stopping zones will be likely set up at various locations along Highway 40 to prevent vehicles from lining up roadside and creating what are known as “bear jams.”
Paczkowski said it’s not uncommon to have 40 to 50 vehicles lined up, often creating a human safety problem because they haphazardly parked with people outside of their vehicles.
“At that point, we have no choice but to try and move the bear off the road because it becomes so difficult to manage 50 vehicles and people running around,” Paczkowski said.
“If people are respectful of the bears and they keep moving and don’t stop, we can allow those bears to keep feeding and get that critical nutrition this time of year.”
It is still winter throughout much of Kananaskis Country with snow and ice up high, leaving the valley bottoms like the busy highway travel corridor the only place with green vegetation for bears to eat.
“We want people to be extra vigilant while driving and watch for wildlife,” Paczkowski said.
“Respect all the speed limits, respect all the traffic signs, and take your time.”
Alberta Parks reminds visitors that it is bear season and the website albertaparks.ca is a good source of information for bear safety. If you see a bear in Kananaskis, please report it to 403-591-7755.
“When you’re in Kananaskis Country and your foot hits the ground, you’re in bear country and you should be prepared,” Paczkowski said.
