Protecting bear zones

The naturally fragmented landscape of the Rocky Mountains dictates where bears can move—along mountain ridges, over mountain passes and through river valley bottoms. Such routes are called wildlife corridors or habitat linkages; they link both habitat and populations. Linkages can be within a bear’s home range, or connect populations on a larger scale.

Grizzly bears need to move far and wide to find adequate food, shelter, and mates. If landscape connectivity is lost, bear populations may become isolated. Isolated populations are more likely to be extirpated as they are vulnerable to disease, environmental changes such as drought and climate change, in-breeding, or inability to find a mate. If connectivity remains, a large population can rescue a small population from extirpation by providing a source of immigrants.

The best, most continuous habitat and wildlife corridors sweep along major valley bottoms. Here, bears are also most likely to encounter busy trails, roads and highways, railways, campgrounds, or townsites.

These developments and human activity create pinch points, fragment habitat, and can filter or even block wildlife movement.

Bears that risk using habitat or travel routes near human developments are more likely to die human-caused deaths by being struck by vehicles or trains, or by becoming ‘problem’ bears that are destroyed as a public safety risk.

Corridor Restoration

Parks Canada is working to restore wildlife corridors around communities in the mountain parks.

In Banff National Park, the restoration of the Sulphur, Norquay-Cascade, and Middle Springs wildlife corridors allows bears and other wildlife to navigate around the Banff townsite. The establishment of the Fairholme Range Environmentally Sensitive Site further supports wildlife movement through the Bow Valley. The Whitehorn and Fairview corridors provide wildlife passage around the hamlet of Lake Louise.

In Yoho National Park, an effective East-West wildlife corridor has been enhanced around the village of Field, enabling wildlife to access Kicking Horse Pass and other wilderness areas.

A significant undertaking happened in Jasper National Park in 2001, when Parks Canada and the Jasper Park Lodge worked together to restore a wildlife corridor through the Lodge’s golf course. A fence around the golf course was forcing wildlife to travel up high along the benches of Signal Mountain to get from the Valley of the Five Lakes to the Maligne River area. The removal of the fence and realignment of the golf course created a “short-cut” corridor that was used almost immediately by wildlife to access prey and to get to where they needed to go.

Communities are not the only areas that require attention when it comes to habitat connectivity: any area of high human use can disrupt wildlife movement. The Pipestone River Valley in Banff National Park forms part of an important wildlife corridor that contains critical grizzly bear habitat.

Here are two examples:

• The Lake O’Hara region in Yoho National Park is a spectacular gem in the Canadian Rockies and a popular hiking destination. Conflicts between people and grizzly bears here in the 1990s led to a research study that identified this area as key grizzly bear habitat and part of an important wildlife corridor. In order to protect people and give bears some breathing room in this vital McArthur Valley-Cataract Brook wildlife corridor, area closures, access restrictions, and trail relocations were implemented.
• The Pipestone River Valley in Banff National Park forms part of an important wildlife corridor that contains critical grizzly bear habitat. Sub-alpine and alpine areas in the upper reaches of this valley contain concentrations of high-quality food such as glacier lilies, an important food source for grizzly bears during the summer months.

To allow bears to use valley bottom areas free from human disturbance, and avoid the potential for a surprise bear encounter, hikers are encouraged to use the alpine trail to travel between Fish Lakes and Pipestone Pass. The valley bottom trail is no longer maintained beyond this point, in keeping with park management and grizzly bear conservation strategies.

How does Parks Canada keep an eye on how well these corridors are working?

Trail cameras are an efficient way to monitor restored corridors and other wildlife routes and collect useful data on how wildlife and people roam. The Wild Images video will show you some of the images captured by these cameras.

Group Access

Group Access requires people to travel in a tight group of four or more. A tight group means that the person in front must be able to comfortably speak with the person in back at all times. Research indicates that larger groups that stay together and make noise are less likely to be attacked by a bear.

Group Access was first used in 1999 in the Moraine Lake area of Banff National Park following several serious bear-human encounters. Complete area closures were initially implemented; then, Group Access was piloted to allow people to use the area in a way that minimized their risk of a bear encounter. The minimum group size requirement was changed in 2007 from six hikers to four, following expert review.

Today, Group Access is used where recurring bear-human encounters have occurred or where the risk is high for such an encounter.

Seasonal Access Restrictions

Some access restrictions are routinely in effect during certain times of the year.

Banff National Park:

• Bryant Creek/Allenby Pass 
• Lake Minnewanka Area Trails 
• Moraine Lake Area Trails 

Yoho National Park:

• McArthur Valley
• Odaray Highline Trail

Kootenay National Park:

• Sinclair Creek – Kindersley Pass Trail  

Glacier National Park:

• Illecillewaet Valley
• Asulkan Valley
• Balu Pass

Always check Important Bulletins or contact park Visitor Centres for current restrictions, warnings and closures.

Those who do not comply will be charged under the National Parks Regulations; maximum fine $25 000.