Just like the groundhog checks for his shadow to predict how much longer winter will be, the resident grizzly bear takes his first steps out of his winter den when spring is on its way.
Boo, who lives in an enclosure on the Kicking Horse Ski Resort, protruded from his den to declare that spring has sprung, only seven days before the winter officially came to an end.
Refuge manager Nicole Gangnon has been working with Boo for six years, and she has noticed that his weight, the time he goes into his den at the beginning of the season, and the time he wakes from his winter slumber all relate to the season’s weather.
If it’s going to be a particularly cold winter, Boo bulks up to keep warm in his den throughout the chilly months. As the weather turns and winter welcomes the cold months, Boo will go into his den to hide away and keep warm for the season.
As the spring thaw approaches, Boo gets more active in his den, stirring around inside before he fully emerges.
“It’s kind of a good marker,” she said, adding that Boo’s movements often coincide with the weather reports. “The weather is predicting accurately, because it looks like Boo is getting ready to get up.”
On March 13, when Boo stretched himself out and protruded from his den, the internal temperatures were above 0 C, instead of in the negatives like they are in the deep winter months.
The Refuge Centre has a number of ways to monitor Boo all winter long, from a live feed camera, to thermostats inside his den.
Now, Boo can be seen from the gondola for lucky winter sports enthusiasts for a couple hours each day. He does still return to his den, where he gets lots of fresh air and comfort as the exterior wall of snow has been knocked down. Typically, he is outside of his den in the small enclosure between 12 to 2 p.m., and can be seen from up above on the gondola, or if people are lucky enough, from some of the ski runs.
“We call it his winter yard,” she said. “From my understanding, with wild bears and in nature, they will emerge from their den and not really leave it immediately. They will pop out for a couple hours and enjoy the sunshine when it’s there.”
Gangnon and her team have been hard at work to dig out the perimeter fence to give Boo his full space to roam as soon as possible. Typically, grizzly bears will stay nearby their den until they are fully awake, as there is not too much food around while the ground is still covered in snow.
There are two sides to the electric fencing that can be bulldozed out, but the other two sides are inaccessible by machinery and need to be shovelled out. Then, Gangnon will work to fix any parts of the fence that were damaged by snow, and she will work with the resort’s electrician to ensure it is running.
After all of this, Boo can be released into his full enclosure. Usually, he gains free rein by the last weekend the ski resort is open for the season.
“He’s quite calm and comfortable, and he’s not bothered by people where he is,” Gangnon said, adding that having too many people around could annoy Boo . “It’s like you getting up and not even having your coffee yet.”
