Listen to this article
Estimated 3 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
A grizzly bear bluff charge has shut down a popular stretch of Highway 40 for cyclists and hikers.
Alberta Parks closed Kananaskis Lakes Trail to the Highwood Pass on May 21 after a provincial vehicle was charged the previous evening.
The stretch of highway was already shut down to vehicles until June 15, which happens yearly, but is a popular cycling route once the snow melts. Now, it’s closed to all traffic.
Sgt. Melanie Pachkowski, a conservation officer, said the higher than normal snowpack has led to more wildlife in the valley bottom.
She said because of the risk to public safety, “the best course of action was to close the area where the incident occurred.”
The closure states several bears, “including breeding pairs,” are in the area. The weekly bear report from Bow Valley WildSmart stated “there are at least 16 different grizzly bears” in the Kananaskis Valley.
Pachkowski noted bears often draw bigger headlines, but wildlife of all types are searching for food near highways.
“We’re seeing them where the green-up is happening,” she said. “That’s going to be in places like highways and ditches, where the snow melts faster and the grass is greener.”
Two grizzly bear cubs cross Highway 40 in Kananaskis Country in this file photo. (Amir Said/CBC)Bear bluff charges are defensive
Kananaskis Country has already seen a few bear bluff charges this spring.
A bear bluff charged a hiker on May 4 near Troll Falls, close to Kananaskis Village. Pachkowski said the bear charged from about four metres and got within a metre of the person before retreating. The area continues to have a bear warning.
The popular area of Mount Engadine Lodge and Mount Shark Road had a warning in place after a grizzly bear bluff charged a person who came out from behind their vehicle. Pachkowski said the bear bluff charged, then retreated.
“The bear thinks the entity is in its space, so they do a bluff charge as a behavioural response to show the person or thing is too close to them and they want it out of its space,” Pachkowski said.
A bear warning was put in place May 13 for the Lower Lake campground in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park after a grizzly bear and cubs were reported.
The provincial department also has a bear warning in place for Kananaskis Country Golf Course after multiple bear sightings.
The area of Highway 40 in Kananaskis Country known as the Highwood Pass on Aug. 24, 2025. The area is frequented by wildlife and is closed to vehicle traffic until June 15 each year. It’s the highest paved pass in Canada. (Greg Colgan/CBC)Prepare for wildlife at all times
Alberta Parks emphasizes people should make noise and travel in groups. It also says people should always carry bear spray, keep pets on a leash and have food secured.
Pachkowski said it can be enticing to stop and get photos, but it can cause long-term harm to wildlife.
“Their behaviour at all times will impact wildlife and that includes if you’re driving. … We ask people slow down, but not stop. We know it’s exciting, but stopping too close to wildlife habituates them and causes issues later on.”
Anyone who sees a bear or other wildlife can call Alberta Parks at 403-591-7755.
The area of Highway 40 in Kananaskis Country on June 10, 2023. The area is frequented by wildlife and is closed to vehicle traffic until June 15 each year. (Greg Colgan/CBC)