Parks Canada traps and relocates bears, like these black bear cubs, as a last resort/Parks Canada

As snow settles in for winter, so do bears across Jasper National Park. Parks Canada saw frequent bear activity in the Municipality of Jasper in 2022, with about a dozen bears drawn to town by attractants in yards and non-native fruit trees.

Human-wildlife conflict specialists responded using various hazing strategies to deter bear presence in the townsite. Trapping and relocating the bears was sometimes a necessary last step in ensuring both bear and human safety.

“Trapping, immobilization and release is a last resort because it is stressful and risky for bears, particularly cubs,” the Alberta mountain park said in a news release. “Bears across the park are now looking for denning sites or have settled into dens for the winter and Parks Canada is pleased to report all relocated bears have kept their distance from town.”

On the grizzly front, male and female siblings were spotted in various yards throughout town in May. On May 31, Parks Canada staff trapped, put GPS collars on and relocated the siblings to the south end of the park. By the middle of the summer, the pair had separated. The male remained in the southeast corner of Jasper, while the female moved south into Banff National Park.

On the black bear front, Parks Canada staff trapped one mother and her two cubs on Sept. 9 using a borrowed family bear trap from Banff National Park. This family unit had frequently accessed fruit trees in the Jasper townsite.

“The bears were released into suitable habitat in a remote area of the park along the Icefields Parkway,” the park said in a news release. “They were spotted by a hiker on the Poboktan Trail and have not been observed or recorded any further north, likely denning well away from the town.”

A grizzly bear was relocated by helicopter in May/Jennifer Bain

A second family of black bears was trapped on Oct. 4 and relocated to the south end of the park. The park said the mother bear’s last telemetry signal was within the Tonquin area where she and her family are presumed to be denning this winter.

Three other individual bears frequented town. Two were last spotted in town on Oct. 14 and are presumed to be denning in an unknown location. The third was trapped and relocated on Oct. 23 and staff hope he will den in his new surroundings at the south end of the park.

Residents, businesses and the municipality worked with Parks Canada to remove fruit trees and other bear attractants. More than 100 non-native fruit trees were removed across the municipality and at Jasper Park Lodge.

Parks Canada recommends dog walkers still carry bear spray while in the park for potential encounters with wolves or cougars. It should be kept in a warm place like a pocket so it doesn’t freeze. Dogs should always be kept on a leash to ensure their safety and to help protect national park wildlife and habitat.