Massive grizzly bear known as 'The Boss' spotted in Canmore area

Massive grizzly bear "The Boss" seemed to have lost his bearings earlier this week.

He was spotted by a local nature photographer in the Canmore area, much farther east than he's normally known to frequent.

The Boss, officially known as Bear No. 122, was seen Sunday where photographer and biologist Jason Leo Bantle lives in Harvie Heights, a hamlet just northwest of Canmore.

Parks Canada said The Boss is in his mid-20s, and the last time he was captured he weighed roughly 450 pounds (about 200 kilograms). The bear is regarded as possibly the largest in the Banff National Park area, his usual stomping grounds.

The grizzly has been through a lot over the years. He's eaten a rival black bear and even survived being struck by a train. He's missing a tuft of fur on his face and a chunk of his right ear, but he's still likely the most dominant bear in and around the national park.

Blair Fyten, human wildlife coexistence specialist with Banff National Park, said Parks Canada wardens had to "shepherd" the bear away from Banff on Nov. 1 as it was trying to get into town, likely to find a crabapple tree it fed on last year.

That weekend The Boss was seen in Harvie Heights. Bantle said he saw a social media post with a photo of The Boss walking in front of his home.

Late Sunday afternoon, The Boss made his way further east to Canmore, where local peace officers along with the RCMP monitored the bear as it went through the neighbourhood.

The Town of Canmore said the grizzly didn't appear aggressive and it wasn't accessing any wildlife attractants.

Eventually the bear travelled back west, where it once again passed through Harvie Heights, feasting for hours, according to Bantle.

He said he was able to capture a few photos of what he dubbed "the patriarch of the Bow Valley" in his neighbourhood after it made its way back from Canmore. 

He said several residents in his community were able to carefully watch the bruin from the safety of their vehicles as The Boss wandered around the hamlet foraging for the bear necessities — berries and apples — in preparation for hibernation.

"I think everybody was just in awe of this scene and he didn't seem impacted by us. He was just doing his thing. And I think everyone just wanted to have an experience with a legend," Bantle said.

Reflecting on his experiences photographing The Boss and seeing his images after they've been processed, Bantle said he became emotional.

"When you're in the moment, you're actually kind of lost," he said, adding he contemplated how much longer the grizzly will be a living icon of the Canadian wilderness.

"Just to have been in the presence of such a bear and to have such unique moments … it was really overwhelming."

Fyten said The Boss is an older bear that normally spends most of his time west of the Banff townsite in the Lake Louise area and Kootenay National Park.

"This is the first time that I'm actually aware that he's gone to the town of Canmore," Fyten said.

He noted that this time of year is when bears are looking for as much food as possible to bulk up for their hibernation, which is a likely reason The Boss wandered so far.

He said The Boss was probably following the train tracks looking for peas, lentils and the odd animal carcass to feed on.

"A deer or something that's been hit by the train and has wandered off into the woods and died. And, you know, he comes across that, and that's just a a huge food reward for a bear at this time of the year," Fyten said.

The Boss was guided by Parks Canada wardens away from the town of Banff on Tuesday.

The bear was led toward his usual habitat by wildlife officials while several visitors to Banff watched from afar as the grizzly crossed the road near the Fenlands Recreation Centre.

"[We] got him out to the east side of town and on his merry way. And, you know, we haven't heard or seen of him for a couple days," Fyten said.

Fyten added that when Parks Canada wardens have to intervene and encourage a bear to stay away from a town such as Banff, they often make lots of noise and shoot paintball guns loaded with compressed chalk.

"That ball breaks into a powder once it hits something. So you can hit the ground beside the bear and it kind of helps to direct them as to which way you want them to go," Fyten said, adding that for the most part The Boss is accustomed to being guided away by Parks Canada wardens.

Fyten said it's important for nature enthusiasts who want to catch a glimpse of The Boss or bears like him to stay safe and practise bear safety while out in Canada's mountain parks.

"We encourage people to carry bear spray right through the wintertime because it is effective against cougars and elk," he said.

"If you do encounter a bear … let them know you're there and back off and get your bear spray out and be ready with it."

To learn more about bear safety, visit Parks Canada's website.