CALGARY -- Wildlife encounters are commonplace for Tom Graham and his wife near their home in Kananaskis Country, but an out-of-the-ordinary sighting Wednesday morning delayed his commute to work.
As Graham prepared to leave his house, he spotted a grizzly mother and her two cubs frolicking on the lawn and began recording them.
The grizzly activity comes days after a section of the nearby Bill Milne Trail, between Mount Allan Drive and the Mount Kidd RV Park, was closed to the public to protect a grizzly bear and her cubs in the area.
On May 13, Grizzly Bear 152 —a 10-year-old grizzly —was struck by a vehicle on Highway 40. Alberta Parks says the bear had been travelling with her two cubs and appeared to be injured and limping after the collision.
Officials say there are at least four grizzly bears with cubs in the Highway 40 corridor this spring.
Alberta Parks encourages Kananaskis visitors to take preventative steps to avoid a potential surprise bear encounter including:
- Travelling in groups;
- Making plenty of noise;
- Watching and listening for signs of bear activity; and
- Keeping pets on leash.
Visitors should also carry bear spray and ensure they're familiar with the steps for using it.
