One of JasperLIFE’s most recent presentations was a wild chat about how people can best get along in bear and elk country.
Human Wildife Co-existence Specialist Jake Jagodkin offered a wide-ranging talk on some basic tips to stay safe while out and about in the town of Jasper and around in Jasper National Park.
“We just try and facilitate a healthy environment for both humans and wildlife to interact – or not interact – on the landscape around the townsite and all over the Park,” he said.
Bears and especially elk are animals that are encountered in and around the townsite and the trails.
The first tip is to be noisy.
“If you're out on a hike, let's say you're hiking up on the bench. You're out for the day. It's nice to go in a group couple of people: two, three or four is great. Typically, when you're walking with that group of people, you might be talking, laughing, having a good time. That's perfect,” Jagodkin said.
“You want the bear to hear you, probably before it sees you. That way, you're not going to surprise it.”
Ideally, you’ll have bear spray with you for those encounters when you do surprise the bear and it charges you. If it doesn’t charge but still approaches you, you can face it because it likely has no real interest in you. Just back away slowly, keep eye contact with it, talk calmly to it and, if necessary, make yourself seem larger. Let the bear know that you’re not food, Jagodkin said.
If you’re in your vehicle and come across a bear by the roadside, then stay in your vehicle.
For bears, a good rule is to keep a distance of at least 100 metres. For elk, it's more like 30 metres.
Elk are a little bit different. They generally come and go in the townsite without problem except for two periods during the year: the fall rut and the spring calving seasons.
Some things are the same though.
“Don't approach them. Give them lots of room. Face them and let them know you're there,” Jagodkin said.
“Be confident. They read a lot into body language. Don't run is a great piece of advice. They don't corner very well so if you're able to find a tree, you can kind of tuck in behind there as well.”
Doing so can help calm the situation down a little bit. At the very least, it can give you a little bit more room.
Elk sometimes charge as well, especially during those two special seasons when their emotions are running high. The male elks called bulls have been known to puncture the tires and the sides of vehicles with their antlers.
Make sure to bring your mobile phone with you. Lots of areas around town and the campsites have cell service.
“Whenever you see an animal acting a little bit strangely or maybe worrisome, or anything at all, it's great to call it into Jasper Dispatch,” Jagodkin said.
“They'll send one of our team out there, or a few of us to go investigate the situation and see what we can do to help make that a little bit more positive coexistence situation for the animal and for people.”
The 24 hour number for Jasper Dispatch is 780-852-6155.
For more wildlife safety tips, people can also visit Parks Canada’s website for Jasper National Park.
