The first grizzly bear cubs I ever photographed were in Jasper National Park, Alta. So was the first wolf. And as we all watch the devastation wrought on the townsite, the people and the park over the past few days, I can’t help but wonder how the much-loved bears and wolves are doing as the wildfire continues to devour their habitat.
Apparently, I’m not alone in thinking about the wildlife of the park. People from around the world have been flooding my Facebook and Instagram inboxes with questions about how the bears, wolves and other wildlife are coping during one of the largest wildfires in the history of one of the world’s most beloved national parks.
The good news is that most large mammals, particularly the bears and wolves, have the ability to outrun most fires, even one as fast and as furious as the Jasper wildfire has been. By this point in the summer, the wolf pack that resides in the Athabasca River valley will have mobile three-month-old pups that can travel dozens of kilometres, if need be, to flee any fire danger. Similarly, most bears in the valley will be able to outpace the fires provided they have an avenue of escape and don’t get pinned against a raging river or an unclimbable cliff.
There is a real concern for mother bears with cubs of the year (those born this year) that are still too small to travel quickly in such fast-changing conditions — several bears were killed in the similarly-sized Kenow wildfire in Waterton Lakes National Park in 2017. However, despite the size of this wildfire (approximately 360 square kilometres have been burned to date), there are still over 10,000 square kilometres of Jasper National Park that remain fire-free and safe for wildlife like black and grizzly bears.
The short-term consequences of the fires may also be felt by Jasper bears that would normally be fattening up on buffaloberries in the valley bottom, where the fire has burned the most fiercely. Thankfully, any temporary impacts on bear populations should right themselves as the forest renews and regrows in the Athabasca River valley in the years to come, providing a bounty of bear food and superb ungulate habitat that will help keep the park’s wolf populations healthy, too.
Despite the destruction, which will take time to recover from, I feel a sense of optimism and hope. When the smoke clears, the people of Jasper, and the wildlife that we all love so much, will come out safely on the other side.
John E. Marriott is a professional wildlife photographer who has photographed bears and wolves in Jasper National Park for the past 32 years. See the original article on Canadian Geographic here.
