BANFF – The Boss is back.
A forested area near the Fenlands meadows at the rear of the Fenlands recreation centre has been temporarily closed because a bear, most likely bear 122, a.k.a, The Boss, was seen feasting on an animal carcass, believed to be a deer.
Once again, the fate of The Boss – the patriarch of Banff National Park bears – is in the hands of residents and visitors to give him space and not violate any spot closures.
While it has not been confirmed if the carcass has been removed, the area remains taped off and anyone caught ignoring the closure could face a court fine of up to $25,000.
“Our message is to obey all signage and notices from Parks Canada about any closures,” said Jason Darrah, director of marketing and communications for the Town of Banff.
“Resist temptation to try to get photos and respect the closure as needed to keep people and bears safe.”
The park’s trained wildlife team was at the Fenlands on Wednesday (Oct. 4) and informed municipal staff there to stay inside and avoid the back area of the building.
Parks Canada was not immediately available for comment, but with The Boss in the townsite area it is an important reminder to remove all potential attractants such as calorie-rich fruit trees.
Fruit trees in Banff pose a risk to the safety of people and the survival of bears – which often end up relocated or dead once they get a taste for these calorie-rich food sources and repeatedly enter town.
Last week, the Town of Banff was quick to inform the public that bear 122 was in town feasting on crabapple trees in a neighbourhood on the northeast edge of town.
Starting Sept. 23, bear 122 was in a backyard along Marmot Crescent, where he feasted on apples that lay all over the ground.
That night Parks Canada got permission from the homeowner to chop down the fruit tree.
Bear 122 returned several times in the coming days, and was hazed away by Parks’ dedicated wildlife crew.
Working around the clock, the team set up a cell camera in the rear of the yard to monitor if and when the bruin returned.
By mid-week last week, he had been hazed west of town and hadn’t been seen near town for several days.
With a recent council-approved bylaw change within the Town of Banff, municipal enforcement officers now have the authority to issue an order to remove a tree that has proven to attract bears to feed on the fruit.
The Boss has managed to avoid getting into trouble over his estimated 22 years of life, having only been hazed out of the townsite once before – from downtown Central Park a few years back.
Driven by a strong sense of smell, bears are looking for food at this time of year because there isn’t much natural food remaining on the landscape.
“They're out scavenging, looking for other wildlife that might have died, or the wolves have killed, that they can take over,” said Blair Fyten, human-wildlife conflict specialist for Banff National Park in an earlier interview.
“This is kind of that critical time where it's just before den up, their metabolism is slowing down a little bit, but they are still seeking any food that they can find.”
Colleen Campbell, a member of the board of directors for Bow Valley Naturalists, hopes bear 122 has a chance to live until he eventually dies of natural causes, not a management decision caused by poor behaviour of residents.
“He deserves to live out his life – never easy for a bear,” she said.
“I think it is really sad that bears become ‘celebrities’ in the eyes of the public – I hope people stay out of the closed area, away from the marked limits, and stop watching for him – or other bears, for that matter,” she added.
“It is a question of treating wild animals with respect: not chasing, not feeding, not teasing, not watching except from a very great distance – more than three or four bus lengths – far enough away that binoculars are needed.”
Banff property owners interested in the free friot tree removal program are asked to email the Town of Banff’s environment team at [email protected] for information/support.
