Atlas, a Karelian bear dog, helps Fish and Wildlife officer Rob DiPalo find and detain bears that have been reported to threaten humans. DiPalo and Atlas will present their work at the Sheep River Library on March 18 at 7 p.m. The library is hosting more speakers during March, a month they designated as bear month at the library.

Hunkering down to pat a friendly dog named Atlas, one would never know his job would scare most humans.

Atlas is a Karelian bear dog, a breed once used to hunt bears in Russia and Finland. Karelian bear dogs are now excellent companions to Fish and Wildlife officers who must deal with problem bears.

Cochrane wildlife officer Rob DiPalo, for example, works with Atlas if a bear has shown up where one shouldn’t be. When a call comes in that a bear has wandered into a public picnic area or in a town site, DiPalo and Atlas jump in the truck and head out to investigate.

Atlas can figure out if the bear is still in the area or not, where the bear is entering and exiting the area and communicate that to DiPalo. If the bear happens to be there, Atlas will place himself between DiPalo and the bear and hold off an attack.

DiPalo will be speaking at the Sheep River Library in Black Diamond on March 18 at 7 p.m. about the job Atlas does. Atlas will also be at the library ready to get some pets from anyone, but especially from children.

The presentation is part of the library’s celebration of bears and bear safety during the month of March.

Library directors and staff have organized three more speakers for the month, a display of bear skins so people can get a close look at their size, their coat, their claws, and the winners of four children’s contests will be announced on March 27.

The bear pelts have proven to be a good idea, judging by the surge of excitement among visiting youth.

Diane Osberg, chair of the library board, said the bear pelts are from bears that died from accidents, such as one that was hit by a train, and others who were euthanized due to aggressive contact with humans.

“Rather than their life going into the garbage, the pelts were preserved for educational purposes and kids are absolutely fascinated by them,” said Osberg. “We encourage them to touch the pelts and see how big the claws are. When else would they have that opportunity?”

The board designated March as bear month in order to raise awareness about bears and bear safety. It’s important in the foothills, Osberg said, since Black Diamond and Turner Valley are the gateway to Kananaskis Country.

A black bear lives near the Turner Valley Golf Course, for example, and has been spotted by golfers and hikers on many occasions.

The exhibition on bears includes a display of pamphlets teaching lessons on being “bear smart” and the three speakers will also offer advice.

In addition to a visit by DiPalo and Atlas, representatives from the Calgary Zoo will do a presentation on bears on Friday, March 19 at 10:30 a.m., which is a school holiday. They will talk about bears commonly found in the foothills, across North America and the world, including pandas and koalas.

On March 23 at 7 p.m. Peter Swain will present information about his research on grizzly bears and conservation efforts.

“He’s going to talk about his research with the role wildlife tourism can play in preserving natural species,” said Osberg.

All bear presentations at the library are free to the public and all are welcome.

For more information contact the Sheep River Library in Black Diamond at 403-933-3278.