Spring has come early to Canada’s mountain parks and officials are reminding visitors to make sure they keep a sharp eye out for wildlife that could be wandering the valleys in search of food.
Park authorities say that spring has come early to the area and they’ve witnessed an increased amount of wildlife activity in the valley, especially near roadways.
They say one particular point of interest is the roadway in Kootenay National Park, which has seen a lot of deer and bears all looking for food sources.
With this in mind, officials are concerned about the increased chance of wildlife-vehicle incidents and the increased chance of contact between animals and humans which would habituate wildlife and ruin their way of life.
Parks officials offer the following tips concerning wildlife going into the spring and summer seasons:
- No stopping zones are just that – you should not stop to view wildlife at all while in these zones
- Strongly consider not stopping along the side of the road to view wildlife to respect the space they need
- Wildlife viewing is an enjoyable experience for park visitors nonetheless, but it should be limited to designated view points. Drivers should always watch for other traffic when stopping in these zones and ensure their vehicle is all the way inside the shoulder lane.
- Do not get out of your vehicle
- Never feed wildlife
- Don’t stay any longer than a minute
- Photographs should be taken without disturbing the wildlife through yelling or throwing objects
- Visitors should also obey the instructions of park’s staff in the area and move along immediately if told to
Visitors are asked to report wildlife sightings near roadways or incidents of people feeding wildlife to Banff Dispatch at 1-403-762-1470.
Callers should take note of the exact location, description of the animal, type and colour, general age, and any other identifiers like a collar or an ear tag.
