How to stay safe around Banff's bears, elk and cougars — carrying bear spray, keeping your distance, what to do in an encounter, and who to call. A safety guide, not a live alert.
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The Bow Valley is home to grizzly and black bears, and Banff's streets and trails run right through their range. This page is the plan the valley lives by: how to carry and use bear spray, how to keep your distance, what to do if you meet a bear — and exactly who to call. It's a safety guide, not a live alert: if you see a bear, cougar or any aggressive wildlife, call Banff Dispatch right away on 403-762-1470.
Right now
Bears are active now
Grizzly and black bears are generally active from April through November and spend the deep winter denning, though a warm spell can bring one out early or keep one out late. Two other windows to watch in town: elk are dangerous around calving from mid-May to late June, and again during the fall rut in September and October.
Banff Dispatch — report a bear or aggressive wildlife
403-762-1470Call the moment you see a bear, cougar, wolf or any aggressive or injured wildlife in Banff, Yoho or Kootenay national parks — it's answered 24 hours a day. Reporting is what lets Parks Canada move a bear on before it gets into trouble. If anyone is hurt, call 911 first.
Both grizzly and black bears live in and move through the Bow Valley, following the seasons and the food. They aren't a spectacle — a bear that learns to link people with food usually ends up dead, so the whole valley works to keep them wild and wary. Elk, cougars and coyotes share the same ground, and the distances and the report line below cover them too.
Parks Canada's wildlife team works to keep bears wary of people and away from town, so that bears and people can share the valley safely. The whole system depends on residents and visitors calling in every bear they see.
Wildlife specialists track the valley's bears, close trails and areas when a bear is feeding or a carcass is nearby, and haze bears that drift into town using noise and, when needed, aversive conditioning to push them back to the wild. Roadside "bear jams" are managed to keep traffic moving and to stop bears getting used to crowds. A bear that keeps coming back for human food or garbage can end up relocated or destroyed — which is why "a fed bear is a dead bear" is taken so seriously here.
If you hear loud bangs, or see wildlife officers working
Stay calm — most bears want nothing to do with you. Don't run: running can trigger a chase, and you can't outrun a bear. What you do next depends on how the bear is behaving.
Stay calm and don't run. Back away slowly, watch the bear, and give it a clear way to leave. Get your bear spray ready in your hand.
If the bear is surprised, defensive, or protecting food or cubs and contact is about to happen, use your bear spray. If it makes contact, PLAY DEAD: lie on your stomach, legs apart, hands over the back of your neck, and keep your pack on for protection. Stay down until the bear leaves the area.
If a bear stalks you or attacks at night — rare, and predatory — do NOT play dead. Use your bear spray and FIGHT BACK with everything you have: shout, and hit it with rocks, branches, whatever you can. If a defensive attack goes on longer than a couple of minutes, treat it as predatory and fight back.
Once you're safe, report the bear to Banff Dispatch on 403-762-1470. If anyone is injured, call 911.
A safety guide, not a live alert
Bow Valley WildSmart
Wildlife-safety education (not for emergencies)
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