Reducing risk to wildlife - Keeping Banff National Park clean and garbage-free
What’s happening
With a poor berry crop this year that bears depend on for food, wildlife attractants like garbage, unattended food, and scented items, will be inviting to bears in the coming days. Banff National Park is a wild, vast and expansive area. We all have a role to play in keeping the park clean and free of garbage. To protect this special place, everyone is encouraged to take responsibility for their own food and garbage, even if it feels inconvenient. Leave nothing behind, and dispose of all garbage in wildlife-proof bins or take garbage with you if the designated bins are full.
How you can help
Please share the following with your staff and visitors:
Garbage, food, and scented items are wildlife attractants. Animals are wild – they need to find their own food to survive.
Help keep them wild:
- Never feed wildlife, big or small.
- Never leave food or scented items unattended.
- Securely store your items inside a vehicle or in a wildlife-proof bin/food locker, if you leave a picnic table for any amount of time.
- Dispose of garbage and recycling in wildlife-proof bins. Never leave food or garbage in fire pits.
- Take your garbage and recycling with you if the designated bins are full.
If you see garbage or recycling left outside:
- In the Town of Banff, call Bylaw Services at 403-763-1218. (8:00 am to 6:00 pm seven days a week);
- At day-use areas and other locations in Banff National Park, call Banff Dispatch at 403-762-1470.
It is illegal to feed, entice or disturb any wildlife in a national park. Violators will be charged, be required to appear in court, and could pay fines up to $25 000.
Please report bear, cougar, wolf, and coyote sightings and encounters to Banff Dispatch: 403-762-1470.