Winter bear sightings not unusual: Ministry

By Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, RMG

Earlier this year, a Valemount resident spotted a bear wandering near train tracks – despite the winter weather. Following this sighting, The Goat reached out to the Ministry of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship to learn more about winter bear behavior.

While locals should avoid areas with fresh bear tracks, the Valemount-area sighting is not cause for concern, the Ministry said. The Conservation Officer Service says it has not received any reports of bear sightings in the area through its Report All Poachers and Polluters line, though the Service will monitor bear activity in the area, according to the statement.

Bears may rise from hibernation after being disturbed by nearby human activity, or damage to the den from flooding or other natural events, the Ministry said in an email statement. A healthy bear will dig a new den and re-enter hibernation within days, it added.

“In some cases, the bear appears to be in very poor body condition and does not re-den,” the Ministry said. “These particular bears may have gone into hibernation in poor condition or perhaps chosen a poor den that did not protect them from the elements well.”

While it is not necessarily the case that winter bear sightings are becoming more common, bears are denning for fewer months out of the year, the statement added.

“Bears are denning for shorter periods as the climate warms,” it said. “More extreme weather events such as unseasonably warm temperatures or rain events during winter do have the potential to flood dens and disturb bears.”