You might think that being face-to-face with a grizzly or black bear would be the most dangerous wildlife encounter in a national park, but a study shows that you wouldn’t want to risk a run-in with another creature: elk.
Researchers from the University of York, UK, examined a database of human-animal incidents recorded by Parks Canada between 2010-2023. From this, they selected incidents involving humans and elk, black bears, grizzlies, coyotes and mule deer as these species were involved in frequent aggressive encounters in the dataset.
- “I found myself standing shoulder-to-shoulder with a huge male grizzly bear.”
- Moose vs elk – what’s the difference between these enormous deer species?
The researchers then analysed the different types of activities these human-animal aggressive encounters occurred in: low-impact activities (hiking and wildlife observation); extreme sports (kayaking and climbing); animal-involved activities (dog walking and horse-riding); camping; transport-related activities (road cycling); townsite activities (golfing); and park operations.
The findings, which are published in Frontiers in Conservation Science, might be surprising to some as elk were involved in around 62 per cent of all aggressive encounters.
Grizzly bears were second at a significantly lower 14 per cent, followed by black bears (13 per cent), mule deer (7 per cent) and coyotes (3 per cent).
“Each species occupies a different ecological role, so they perceive human threat differently,” explains senior author Shashank Balakrishna, a biologist at the University of York.
“Elk sometimes avoid humans, but at other times use human presence as refuge from predators. This unpredictability may explain why they top the list for aggressive encounters.”
When considering in which activities these aggressive encounters occurred, low-impact activities were the most common, making up 25 per cent of incidents. This was followed by townsite activities at 22 per cent, with adventure sports just 4 per cent.
The researchers also discovered that certain animals were more likely to be encountered during certain activity types. Elk were involved in over 73 per cent of encounters at townsites and in 57 per cent of encounters recorded during adventure sports.
Run-ins with grizzly and black bears occurred most frequently during low-impact activities (45 per cent and 43 per cent, respectively). The researchers suggest that this could be because these animals are prone to reacting aggressively to surprise encounters – something that’s more likely to happen if you’re quietly walking along a trail or watching wildlife.
The presence of other animals also affected the reactions. “Mule deer showed more aggression during activities involving pets, likely because dogs resemble their natural predators,” says Balakrishna.
So, how can you best avoid an unwanted (and potentially dangerous) animal encounter?
“We recommend simple precautions,” says the study’s first author Holly Landles, a researcher at the University of York.
“Announcing yourself is a good idea, especially for grizzly bears. Taking whistles, talking or hiking in larger groups can help, too. Keeping dog leads short when large herds are present is simple but effective.”
“Now we can point to precise high‑risk pairings, such as elk visiting townsite areas or mule deer encountered during dog walking,” adds Balakrishna.
“This allows park managers to focus resources, signage, and education where they are most needed.”
Read the full paper: Aggressive encounters with large mammals vary by recreational activity type in Canadian national parks
