Today, elk are one of Banff s most numerous large animals with close to 2500 found in the park. A minimum of 570 elk live in the Bow Valley, and roughly 460 elk are found in and around the town of Banff. At least 3 generations of calves now have now been born in townsite environs. Townsite elk are becoming more habituated to humans, and therefore are displaying more aggressive behavior towards humans. Visitors - More tourists are visiting the park during shoulder seasons which coincide with elk calving and rutting seasons.
Many visitors remain unaware of potential danger of getting too close to elk.
One reason for this is that there are more wolves in the park which prey upon elk. Wolves are wary of entering urban areas, and therefore elk are using the townsite as a refuge from perdition. The high concentration of elk around Banff is having an ecological impact as well. Elk are over-browsing aspen, willow, and other forage plants, which in turn impacts other bird and animal species dependent on this vegetation, such as beaver, moose, and ruffed grouse. The loss of aspen communities results in reduced overall biodiversity.