'Extremely aggressive and protective': Elk calving season underway in Alberta

Visitors to Alberta's national parks and the Rocky Mountains are being warned to watch out for more than just bears, when it comes to potentially dangerous wildlife.

Elk calving season is underway, with cow elk giving birth and starting to raise their offspring from mid-May to early July. The risk around aggressive elk encounters during this season is why Nick de Ruyter, the WildSmart program director at the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley, has dubbed them "the most dangerous animal in Alberta, by far."

Many people are likely to have misconceptions around elk, de Ruyter said, and potentially think they're harmless herbivores.

"They don't have big sharp teeth and claws, so people think they're really tame animals," he said.

But the danger they pose doesn't come from their diet or desire to kill. It comes from how common they are in places frequented by people.

"Mother elk are extremely aggressive and protective of their calves … they are going to be a lot more aggressive right now than bears," said de Ruyter.

Dan Rafla, a resource management officer with Parks Canada, said visitors to Banff National Park should be incredibly wary of elk during calving season.

"If you see a solitary female around, give her a wide berth. It either means she's getting ready to give birth, or she's given birth and there might be a calf nearby that you cannot see," said Rafla.

He added that newborn calves remain immobile and scentless as a defence strategy — the goal is not to be seen by predators, and curious tourists that get too close are likely to be perceived as predators by defensive mothers.

"With a lot of visitors coming, they might find [elk calves] kind of an exciting thing to see, or get too close," he said. "Moms can be very defensive, and that has led to people getting charged."

Parks Canada advises people to keep at least 30 metres away from elk at all times.

"I think the most common mistake is people are really excited to see wildlife and they want to get a photograph, so they approach too quickly," said Rafla.

"They don't notice subtle signs of that elk actually changing behaviour and getting stressed, they get too close, and before they know it, the elk is charging them."

The Government of Alberta says signs of an agitated elk may include "staring with flattened ears and raised rump hair, curled lips, grinding teeth, and charging and kicking."

In the event of an elk charge, Rafla says people should try to look big, pick up a stick, ensure any children you're with are close to you, face the animal and back away. Maintaining eye contact is a better course of action when encountering aggressive elk, rather than turning around and running or playing dead.

Warnings, closure in effect

Temporary area closures may be put in place when necessary, said Rafla.

Last weekend, for example, Parks Canada closed an area at the west slope of Tunnel Mountain, south of the Tunnel Mountain Trail, from May 30 to June 1 to provide a secure habitat for elk during calving season.

Near Canmore, Alberta Parks has issued elk-specific wildlife warnings for Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park trails east of Cougar Creek as well as locations throughout Larch Island, effective from May until further notice.

Elk are relatively common in Alberta. They can be found across Banff, Jasper and Waterton national parks, throughout Kananaskis Country, and elsewhere in the boreal and foothills regions of the province. So Parks Canada and Alberta Parks advise caution even beyond the specific areas they name.

"It's being respectful towards wildlife," said Rafla.

Elk and other animals are most commonly seen in the Bow Valley at this time of year, Rafla added.

"There's still a lot of snow higher up in the mountains," he said. "New, fresh vegetation is growing in the valley bottom … so you have a high concentration of deer, of elk, as a result. You also have predators that will follow, seeking out the fawns and the calves as well."

Rafla also stressed the need to prevent elk encounters involving dogs.

"Dogs need to be under control at all times and kept on a leash … [it's] preferred, really, to leave them at home, especially this time of year," he said.