Want the bare facts on bears in Edmonton? We're pretty lucky, says U of A prof

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNewsLocal News Want the bare facts on bears in Edmonton? We're pretty lucky, says U of A prof 'In fact, I think it's really cool to live in a city where we've got black bears, and we've gotten much better about coexisting with bears and reducing attractants and avoiding confrontations' Author of the article: By Jackie Carmichael Published Sep 19, 2026 4 minute read Join the conversation Security camera footage captures a bear in Edmonton's Mill Creek neighbourhood. PHOTO BY SUPPLIED PHOTO/EDMONTON RUNNING Article content At least one black bear has been making nocturnal rounds near wooded areas in Edmonton. Article content Startling photos shared on social media tell the story. A resident in the Mill Creek area snapped a late-night photo of a black bear looking every bit as startled. Article content Article content Days earlier, out on the edge of town, in the Cumberland/Oxford area east of St. Albert Trail and south of Anthony Henday Drive, time stamps show a black bear’s zig-zagged visits to neighbourhood streets between midnight and 1:30 a.m. Article content Article content Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services was informed, and although the police were called, there have been no reports of aggressive behaviour, property damage or access to attractants to date. Article content Headline News Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content There are about 40,000 bears in the province. They’re especially abundant across the north, but every county has Ursus americanus, and any stand of timber can harbour one. Article content The Cumberland/Oxford location is close to the Sturgeon River, “which is great bear habitat,” and Lois Hole Provincial Park, where there’s lots of moose and deer and even bears, said Mark Boyce, professor of population ecology in the University of Alberta Department of Biological Sciences, and the Alberta Conservation Association chair in Fisheries and Wildlife. Article content It’s that time of year Article content Welcome to hyperphagia — bears, sensing winter’s approach, have a month or two to eat to bulk up their body mass by 25 per cent and put on fat to sustain them in their winter den denning period. Article content Black bears…