Whenever people hear “The Boss,” images of Bruce Springsteen immediately come to mind unless you live in the Bow Valley. Those two words will create a different version of The Boss, Canada’s most famous grizzly, bear 122.
And like its musical namesake, both bosses are appearing in Alberta this November; Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band will rock the Saddledome in Calgary on November 16 and Rogers Place in Edmonton on November 19.
Meanwhile, back in Canmore, bear 122 unexpectedly showed up in town on November 3, not looking for crowds of adoring fans but for a quick snack before bed.
Who’s the Boss?
For those not in the know, bear 122, The Boss, is estimated to be between 24 and 28 years old and enormous, weighing between 650 and 700 pounds (295 and 317 kg) depending on the time of year. He has a massive home range of over 2,500 square kilometres, spanning Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay national parks. The Boss has been the dominant male grizzly in the Bow Valley for over a decade, siring most of the local population’s cubs.
The Boss has gained notoriety not only for his massive size but also for his interactions with other bears. In 2013, he killed and ate a black bear along the Sundance Canyon trail, and there’s evidence suggesting he may have eaten another black bear in 2012. In 2020, he was observed battling with another dominant male, Bear 136 (nicknamed “Split Lip”), in what wildlife photographer John E. Marriott dubbed the “battle of the titans.” Read about John’s amazing encounter at this link.
Encounters with His Fans
Despite his intimidating size and reputation, The Boss has generally avoided aggressive interactions with humans and often just goes about his business as photographers crowd around him like paparazzi.
Sometimes, he even comes into town to wow the crowds, at least once strolling through Banff’s Central Park in broad daylight. In 2013, he huffed at a group of hikers who interrupted his meal but showed no signs of aggression. Generally, he is not interested in people but is only motivated by “mating and eating,” according to Steve Michel, a human/wildlife conflict specialist at Banff National Park.
His pursuit of food has sometimes gotten him into trouble. He was once hit by a train but survived while foraging for spilled grain along the railroad tracks. After getting into steak bones and corn cobs, he forced the construction of an electric fence around a former dumpsite near Castle Mountain.
A Late Season Appearance in Canmore
The Boss is usually the first bear to emerge from hibernation and the last bear to head to bed for the winter. So it should be no surprise that he was cruising through Canmore on November 3, looking for a few last-minute snacks.
He wandered through Harvie Heights and into Canmore around 5 PM, moving through the Palliser area and east to Cougar Creek before returning to Harvie Heights on the morning of November 4.
Alicia Evans, who captured video of the bear as he meandered across a parking lot and Benchlands Trail, described The Boss as “huge.”
Evans noticed a teen riding his bike up the hill’s trail, and she yelled to him to warn him about the big bear’s presence.
“It was relatively dark, so I yelled at him, and he virtually dropped his bike, and then he saw the bear,” she said.
“A guy in a truck had also seen what was happening and he stayed on the road there and actually loaded the kid’s bike into his truck and must have taken the kid home.”
At one point, the big bear was walking directly towards Evans. “My headlamp picked up the glow of his eyes, so that’s how I was able to keep an eye on him as I walked back,” she said.
Fortunately for Evans, the giant grizzly showed no signs of aggression and seemed unfazed by her presence, Evans said.
“He just plodded along, and I obviously kept an eye on it, but there was very little interest in me,” she said.
“It’s kind of like he has this presence, that he owns the place, and he’s not phased.”
Take Precautions
The presence of The Boss in Canmore should remind us all that bears are still active despite cooler temperatures. They will continue to be as unseasonably warm temperatures continue this week.
Caitlin Miller, manager of protective services for the Town of Canmore, says, “Canmore residents should be vigilant about bringing bear spray with them while out in the community and making sure they have secured wildlife attractants. Pumpkins should not be left outside and can be put into community food waste bins.”
Last fall, The Boss, on another fall feeding binge, made his way into Banff and feasted on fruit trees and bluff-charged residents, prompting Banffites to chop down in record numbers to help protect the beloved bear.
A Fruit Tree the Problem Again This Time
The big bruin came into Canmore, attracted by the smell of rotting crab apples.
Alicia Evans’ video shows The Boss peering for a long moment over a six-foot-high fence that backs onto Benchlands Trail, where a tree laden with rotting crabapples is located.
Veteran Canmore conservationist and resident Jim Pissot, who has previously voiced concerns about this specific crabapple tree, emphasized that the presence of fruit trees is inexcusable, given the town’s persistent education efforts.
“It’s such a big deal because the risk to bears is so high, and the ability to address it is so damn easy,” he remarked.
“There is absolutely no excuse imaginable for wildlife attractants like fruit trees anywhere in the Bow Valley. This puts grizzly bears at risk.”
Canmore has a bylaw that clearly states that no one shall permit a wildlife attractant to be placed or remain outdoors where a wildlife attractant is accessible to or attracts dangerous wildlife.
Pissot Said he urged the Town of Canmore to contact the residents at this address to have them remove the attractants and issue an appropriate fine.
Caitlin Miller said, “Wildlife attractants can continue to be reported to the Municipal Enforcement department at 403-678-4244 or enforcement@canmore.ca to initiate an investigation.”
“The whole community has a responsibility in removing wildlife attractants to keep wildlife and people safe,” Miller said.
Most Bow Valley residents love The Boss and are doing their part to protect the bear from a tragic fate like one that happened to the other famous grizzly in the park, Nakoda, the white grizzly that was killed after being struck by a vehicle. Even worse would be a situation where The Boss was euthanized because residents carelessly left out food, and The Boss became aggressive in protecting a food source.
So, while Albertans are thrilled by the upcoming visit of the musical Boss, the real Boss in Alberta is Bear 122. Let’s keep him safe.
And long may he roam!
