Young grizzly bears have been spotted in Jasper townsite/Joshua Schaefer

Jasper National Park is grappling with the sudden appearance of young grizzly bears in the townsite of Jasper.

Parks Canada says the teenage bears are motivated to avoid other bears — young bears are at risk of being killed by other dominant bears outside the townsite — and to find rich food sources, particularly vegetation that is greener than vegetation available outside of town.

“We all have essential roles to play in coexisting with wildlife,” the Alberta park said in a news release asking the public for help. “We need your help to remove wildlife attractants, enable quick responses to bears in town, and support healthy human-wildlife coexistence.”

In a conflict, Parks Canada will prioritize the safety of people over the protection of wildlife. But grizzly bears are a keystone species and Parks Canada believes that "despite these young bears having experience in town, there is still potential for successful human-bear coexistence.”

In the short term, wildlife specialists will actively respond to reports of bears in town, "letting the bears know it's not okay to be in town by hazing them outside of the townsite as swiftly as possible." But bear management actions may escalate to trapping and translocation of these bears under specific circumstances, although the destruction of bears is always a last resort.

In the long term, a landscape-level strategic plan addressing attractants in the valley bottom is being developed.

Responding to bears as soon as possible gives bears the best chance for survival and reduces the chances of them becoming further habituated or food-conditioned. Jasper residents are urged to:

• Treat backyards like backcountry campsites by removing all possible wildlife attractants including bird feeders, pet food, barbecue grease catchers and fruit trees.
• Call Jasper Dispatch at 780-852-6155 immediately (24 hours a day) if they see a bear in the townsite area.
• Maintain a safe distance (100 metres/330 feet) at all times from bears and never approach or surround them.
• Remove fruit trees before they attract a bear. If asked, Parks Canada will remove fruit trees from private property at no charge.