Harvie Heights, Alberta

On a Sunday morning in November, with natural food sources diminishing in his familiar habitat, The Boss wandered out of Banff National Park in search of ripened fruit trees to fatten up for hibernation. Fruits and berries – especially those planted in residential areas – are a temptation too strong to resist. Incredibly, The Boss walked right past my home. By 6 p.m., the bear had headed even farther east into the town of Canmore and was sighted by several residents in the Cougar Creek area.

The next morning, local authorities had persuaded The Boss to head back toward the Park, returning through the hamlet of Harvie Heights. He revisited a yard with a 40-year-old tree that had yielded plentiful apples the day before, but this time the tree was gone. The owner, concerned about the dangers to the bear and citizens, had cut it down the night before and cleaned up as many of the apples as she could. The Boss stayed in her yard for over an hour, scouring the ground for any remaining fruit. The homeowner watched from her upper deck while a small group of residents and I watched from the safety of our vehicles, being sure to keep a safe distance. The bear was non-threatening during his hour-long visit, concentrating solely on foraging.

After The Boss was done his search, he ambled next door, where there was a mountain ash tree with bright red berries. Up against the deck of the home, The Boss stretched high to reach the red berries hanging off the branches. The homeowner boldly came out on her deck and told the big bruin to leave, and we called out to her to be careful. She had a Halloween ornament that activated on motion and made noises that caused the bear to leave. He continued to head west to Banff National Park. I noticed The Boss had a wound that was healing on the left side of his face, and his teeth were worn, but overall The Boss is still very healthy and ready for winter hibernation.

The next day I came across a “bear jam” as the Banff park wardens skillfully escorted the most notorious bear in the valley through the town and through the only wildlife corridor to his home turf. As The Boss passed over the west entrance into Banff by The Fenlands Banff Recreation Center, I had a smile on my face, knowing that he was back home and safe again.

I thanked the Parks Canada wardens for their care for The Boss, and asked a bit more about his behaviour. They shared with me that in 2023 he exhibited similar behaviour and had to be hazed out of the Banff townsite after finding fruit and apple trees. They think that as this bear gets older, he may start to take more unfamiliar risks to meet his foraging needs. To help protect him, Banff residents removed a record number of berry and apple trees after The Boss’ visit in 2023.

Let’s wish The Boss a safe and restful hibernation.

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