Poor berry crop causing more movement

High speeds and failing berry crops are contributing to a slew of bear-related accidents in Jasper National Park, according to park officials.

Three black bears were hit by cars in the past week, and one black bear was killed by a train, as animal fatalities continue to mount this summer.
One bear was struck on Highway 16 by the entrance of Pine Bungalows, a second was hit near the west gate of the park, a third young black bear was hit by a motorcycle and a fourth was found dead Aug. 5 by Mile 223 on the CN track, by the Snaring campground.

Only the bear struck by the train was found and confirmed dead, according to Wes Bradford, wildlife specialist with Jasper National Park.

“The driver of the motorcycle said the bear was knocked out and had a cut near its eye and nose, but it got up. That bear was probably travelling with a female and cub in the area,” said Bradford.

“There are a lot of bears on the move right now. We have a poor buffalo berry crop and black bears are getting fed up with ripping apart logs and pulling up rocks looking for food. They’re looking for berries.”

Nine bears were reported struck by cars in Jasper National Park in July, with one fatality confirmed.

Bradford said many bears survive these incidents, however they often sustain injuries.

“If the vehicles aren’t travelling at too high of a speed, they can survive. They can get road rash and bruises, but they can sustain a lot,” Bradford said.

Because of the number of accidents, Bradford is calling for drivers to slow down and pay more attention to the road.

“People are not paying attention to the road,” Bradford said.

Once parks officials receive a report of a collision involving a bear, wardens investigate the area for several days. Many bears hit on the highway disappear into the woods to die.

“We check it out thoroughly. We check to see if the bear is off of the edge of the road, is it up a tree... we make sure they don’t get into trouble.” he said.

Because of a poor buffalo berry crop, bears are travelling greater distances in search of food, which is increasing the chances of road crossings. Many buffalo berry patches are near roads, which also increases the chances of encounters.

“Some travel as far as a kilometre in 20 minutes looking for berries,” Bradford said. “If they do find a patch, they’re there.”

Parks crews have had their hands full breaking up bear jams over the past few weeks.

“We’ve had piles of them. We’re breaking up four jams as we speak (on Aug. 6). Some are for bears feeding on berry bushes, some are travelling through.”

Several bears have bluff-charged tourists this year.

Bradford says tourists should stay in their cars if they see a bear at the side of the road.

“People should stop, have a look and move on. People are getting bluff-charged because at some point the bears are saying they’ve had enough, so they show a little bit of aggression,” Bradford said.

Parks Canada asks the public to report all bear sightings to the warden’s office at 780-852-6155.