A no-stopping zone was implemented along Highway 93 South near Radium Thursday after bears were being fed by motorists stopping along the roadway.
The restriction, which is in effect for at least a month, will prevent people from getting too close to the bears — including a female grizzly with her two-year old offspring.
“It’s to make sure both bears and people are safe,” said Jon Stuart-Smith, a human-wildlife conflict specialist with Parks Canada. “The bears are quite close to the road and there have been instances where people have stopped and fed wildlife from their vehicles so this is one of the things we are trying to do to prevent that from happening.
“A bear that is fed like that becomes food conditioned and may approach vehicles, and that definitely becomes dangerous for visitors.”
Two cases of bears being fed are being investigated by the warden’s service, he said.
The no-stopping zone, which could also lead to a fine, includes an 11-kilometre stretch in an unfenced part of Highway 93 South from the Cobb Lake trailhead to Radium Hot Springs in Kootenay National Park.
It has been an annual spring restriction since 2014 when the female grizzly bear emerged with her two cubs and caused traffic chaos as motorists and photographers tried to catch a glimpse or take a photo.
Two grizzly bear cubs caused traffic chaos in 2014. Now two years old, one of them is in the same spot with its mother.
The female grizzly bear is back with one of the two offspring, eating grass and dandelions along the road.
“We don’t know what happened to the other cub,” said Stuart-Smith. “There’s numerous black bears in the area as well.”
The travel restriction also includes the closure of Olive Lake day use area and the southbound brake check (with the exception of commercial vehicles).
In addition to the no-stopping zones, which don’t include parking at hiking trailheads, wildlife officials have also continued to do some vegetation control along the roadway.
“We’ve been trying to use some herbicides on the dandelions on the north side of the highway in that section to try and reduce the attractiveness of that area for the bears so they aren’t crossing back and forth,” said Stuart-Smith, noting they’re only doing one side to ensure there’s still a food source for bears.
No bears have been killed on Highway 93 South so far this year, he said.
There’s wildlife fencing on a small portion of the roadway, but he noted that the fenced portions of the roadway don’t mean people should walk up to it and get close to the bears.
“We don’t want people to think that it’s safe for them to approach a fence,” said Stuart-Smith, noting bears are able to climb fences and it can still lead to habituation of the bears.
Grizzly bear No. 134 searches for food along the Trans-Canada Highway in Yoho National Park on April 25, 2016.
Grizzly and black bears have also been out along the Bow Valley Parkway and Trans-Canada Highway in Banff and Yoho national parks in recent weeks.
Officials ask anyone who sees a bear — or motorists stopped in the restricted area — to report it to dispatch at 403-762-1470.
