Concerns raised as people crowd rare white grizzly in Banff and Yoho parks
BANFF A wildlife photographer says he’s worried about a rare white grizzly living in mountain parks in Alberta and British Columbia after watching people get too close to it and seeing it run across a highway.
The bear, which has been nicknamed Nakoda by locals, was first revealed publicly after it was spotted in Banff National Park two months ago.
Parks Canada said it’s not an albino, but a natural variation that makes the 3 ½-year-old bear white.
“This colour phase variation is unusual for grizzly bears but has been seen before,” the agency said in a statement. “Grizzly bears are typically brown, black or blond; however there have been records of grizzly bears with a white colour phase variation.”
Photographer Jason Bantle, who is also a biologist, said the now-famous bear has been seen on the railway tracks and along the Trans-canada in Yoho National Park, which is next to Banff park on the B.C. side.
Fencing prevents wildlife from crossing the highway through Banff, but hasn’t been installed in Yoho.
Bantle said he saw a transport truck narrowly miss the bear as it darted across the highway one evening. He also watched people getting out of their vehicles to get a photo of the bear as it grazed on the vegetation along the highway the next morning.
“One individual ... approached the bear within 50 metres,” he said. “That’s unacceptable.”
Bantle said he stayed at least 200 metres from the bear and turned on the hazard lights on his vehicle to make sure people knew to slow down.
“As a nature photographer, it’s a fine line between getting images and making sure the individuals are conserved,” he said.