All visitors, residents and businesses in the Banff townsite have a responsibility to be aware of human behaviours that create risks for people, and are dangerous to grizzly and black bears. Coexistence with the abundant wildlife in Banff National Park means we have to help keep bears out of the townsite.
Your role in keeping bears out of town
Keeping bears away from town and away from human contact can save their lives. People may have a false sense of security in the townsite with many other people around. Bears are often very near to the town and require very little enticement to venture into neighbourhood streets. All it takes is a whiff of a promising meal or an interesting smell. Please help:
- Ensure human food and garbage are not accessible to wildlife.
- Dispose all food and drink containers, wrappers, household garbage and recycling in the proper wildlife-proof bins.
- Make sure the bin’s door closes completely.
- After you have been sitting in an area, check that you are not leaving anything behind when you leave.
- Call the Town of Banff if you see garbage bins that need emptying.
If you see garbage, litter or food waste left outside, please report it to the Town of Banff emergency operations line, 403.762.1240. After hours, press 2 for an on-call emergency number.
More information on
Bear Awareness.