Hikers’ brush with feeding grizzly forces closure of two Banff trails

BANFF — A dangerous encounter for hikers who stumbled across a large grizzly bear feeding on a carcass has forced the temporary closure of the Sundance Canyon Loop and Sundance Pass trails in Banff National Park.

Parks Canada wildlife experts say the grizzly — possibly a male known as 122 — was feeding on a carcass on the edge of the trail when a group of five or six hikers approached at about 3 p.m. Sunday.

“It was a very close encounter with the bear on top of a buried carcass. They were quite lucky there wasn’t a contact situation,” said Steve Michel, a human-wildlife conflict specialist for Banff National Park.

“He came off the carcass and came toward them at very close range, within a couple of metres. He was right there. He was vocalizing quite well,” Michel added.

“This situation turned out OK, but it could unfortunately have been one of these situations that may not have had a positive outcome with a bear being defensive.”

A lone female hiker initially saw the bear close to the trail from about 20 metres away. She quietly retreated and phoned Parks Canada’s dispatch to let wildlife officers know the bear was near the trail.

When resource conservation officers arrived, they came across the shaken group of five or six hikers who had just had a close encounter with the feeding grizzly. It is not known if the hikers had bear spray.

Michel said the closure will remain in place for about a week to allow the grizzly to feed in peace.

“It’s always our preference to allow natural events to play out on the landscape. We want to allow bears and other carnivores to feed on any prey they may have killed or scavenged,” Michel said.

Michel said hikers should travel in groups, carry bear spray and know how to use it. They should also make lots of noise and be aware of surroundings, such as buffalo berries, a rich food source for bears that appears to be spotty in the Banff area this year.