CANMORE, Alta. – A mamma black bear and her cub were tranquillized and trapped in downtown Canmore on Monday (Aug. 29).
As crowds gathered, Fish and Wildlife officers and other departments worked to safely trap the bears that had bedded down under a tree in a backyard next door to Sauvage and Paintbox Lodge on 10th Street.
A spokesperson for Alberta Fish and Wildlife said enforcement services received multiple reports of the sow and her one cub.
“Fish and Wildlife located the bears, which were bedded down under a tree in a small yard,” said Katherine Thompson, communications advisor for Alberta Justice and Solicitor General, in an email statement.
Thompson said officers believe the bears had not been into any residential or commercial garbage, but were attracted to the yard because of a large apple tree that had many apples, including some on the ground.
She said after evaluating the situation, officers made the decision to immobilize and relocate the bears due to the area’s proximity to roads and pedestrians.
“The sow and cub were immobilized, placed in a trap and transported to a warehouse,” said Thompson.
“Officers monitored and assessed the bears. Throughout the night, these became alert and oriented. Fish and Wildlife will relocate them today (Aug. 30).”
At one point, one of the bears was on the roof of the dilapidated house on 10th Street.
Officers tranquillized the mamma bear first. It took five people to carry the bear into the waiting trap.
When they went to get the cub, which was stressed by the ordeal, it was running around the area. Officers were able to prevent it from getting onto the road where there was potential for it to be struck by a vehicle or encounter nearby pedestrians.
Both bears were fitted with tags.
“Canmore RCMP, Canmore Fire Department, Alberta Environment and Parks provided support with traffic and pedestrian control, as well as with expertise on predators and bear immobilization,” said Thompson.
This mamma bear with one cub is not believed to be the same female bear with three cubs making the rounds on the north side of the Trans-Canada Highway, including residential neighbourhoods surrounding Cougar Creek.
With a poor buffaloberry crop throughout much of the region, bears have one more reason to head into town this fall in search of food, including trees such as crabapple, chokecherry, and mountain ash trees.
In Canmore, it is against the law to let fruit or berries accumulate on trees, bushes and on the ground under the municipality’s Community Standards Bylaw. Fines can range between $250 and $10,000.
In addition, residents are reminded to put away pet food indoors and clean BBQs.
Fish and Wildlife declined the Outlook’s repeated attempts to interview a Fish and Wildlife officer on the developing bear situation in Canmore.
