Parts of Kananaskis highway closed following grizzly bear bluff charges

Alberta Parks has closed parts of Highway 40 from Kananaskis Lakes Trail to Highwood Pass after a grizzly bear charged a person last Tuesday.

Officers say there have been a few human bear encounters in the past few days, making the probability of another encounter very high.

Out of the incidents, there have been no injuries, and they’ve all been bluff charges.

“But if people have surprised bears, we’re not necessarily aware of their surrounding and they startle the bear, then the normal bear behaviour to show that an individual is in their space is they do what’s called a bluff charge,” said Sgt. Melanie Pachowski.

A bluff charge is when a bear rushes forward and stops just short of making contact.

Currently, officials are tracking 18 active bears in Kananaskis.

“Some of those are family groups, so we have a female that has three cubs, so that’s four individuals right there,” Pachowski said.

Meanwhile, a heavy alpine snowpack is also pushing wildlife into valley bottom areas already crowded with hikers and cyclists.

She says the closure was necessary because there’s a bottleneck of pedestrians and cyclists using the road while numerous bears, including breeding pairs, use it for travel.

A bear warning is also in effect at the Kananaskis Country Golf Course, where multiple bears have been spotted near the greens and roadways

Meanwhile, the closure is expected to remain stay in place until bears have more room to move through the region safely.

“The closure that we have in place will likely depend on the weather,” Pachowski explained.

“So once the snowpack melts a little bit and it gives the bears a lot more space besides the road and roadside, then it’s a bigger buffer zone.”

Pachowski reminds visitors heading outdoors to stay alert, avoid wildlife, and to travel in groups.

“Always keep your pets on a leash and not only carrying bear spray — knowing how to use it,” she said.