Motorists banned from bear watching
As bears begin to feast on sweet grasses and dandelions on the roadside, national parks officials are closing some areas and banning motorists from stopping to gawk.
A temporary no-stopping zone for an 11-kilometre stretch of Highway 93 S. in the southern portion of Kootenay National Park is now in effect. This area near Olive Lake has a high concentration of grizzly and black bears early in the season after hibernation, so the closure allows them to adjust and feed undisturbed.
The affected area includes 11 kilometres from McKay Compound to Cobb Lake, north of Radium Hot Springs, the Olive Lake day use area and the southbound brake check location (with the exception of commercial vehicles).
Once higher elevation areas begin to green up, much of the wildlife currently in the valley bottoms begin to disperse and then parks staff will remove the temporary no-stopping zone and closures.
Other local areas remain open, including trailheads for Cobb Lake, Kimpton, Redstreak Creek and the northbound brake check.
Feeding wildlife and disobeying closures or no-stopping zones is illegal, and parks officers along with RCMP will be patrolling the area to ensure motorists are complying. So far this spring, one charge of feeding wildlife has already been laid.