Close X
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
ADVT 
National

Parks Canada Officials Say Human Contact Putting Wildlife, People At Risk

IANS, 04 Jul, 2016 12:44 PM
    BANFF, Alta. — Tourists are repeatedly warned about getting too close to wildlife they come across in the mountains, but Parks Canada officials say despite the advisories, it’s still happening.
     
    One recent incident near Lake Louise, Alta., involved a grizzly bear feeding near the road just inside one of the fence barriers.
     
    Dozens of excited visitors went over to take a look, some standing just steps from the large bear.
     
    Parks officials say at one point, a child reached through the wire toward the bear, an exceedingly dangerous thing to do.
     
    Kevin Van Tighem, a former superintendent at Banff National Park, says the gatherings of tourists that park officials call "bearjams" are filled with "stupid and irresponsible behaviour."
     
    He says people are not only putting themselves at risk, they are creating problems for the animals by potentially building contact with humans that can later cost them their lives.
     
    “Even though you might feel safe because there is a fence there or something, it doesn’t change the fact that somebody else might get hurt because of this situation,” Van Tighem said.
     
    He said the bear could easily get over the fence if it wanted to.
     
    “The more you increase stressful interactions and stressful situations between bears and humans, there is more risk of an attack happening, if not at that event, then subsequently.”
     
    The bear in the fence incident has had her fair share of contact with humans, but Van Tighem said it is especially concerning for her because she is at her prime breeding age.
     
    “This six-year-old female knows how to live around people,” Van Tighem said. “I’ve met her personally in the backcountry of Banff. She’s coming into her prime productive years — she’s a very important bear — it would be terrible to lose this bear because of people’s behaviour.”
     
    Ideally, Parks Canada officials would like people to slow down but not stop when they spot bears along the road. They say if you do stop, you should stay in your car, keep a respectful distance and make it brief.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Alberta RCMP officer shot and killed in line of duty to be honoured with memorial

    Alberta RCMP officer shot and killed in line of duty to be honoured with memorial
    Const. David Wynn was 42 when he died four days after being shot during a struggle with a suspected car thief in St. Albert in January 2015.

    Alberta RCMP officer shot and killed in line of duty to be honoured with memorial

    Orthodox Mennonite Man In Manitoba Gets Jail Time For Assaulting Children

    Orthodox Mennonite Man In Manitoba Gets Jail Time For Assaulting Children
    BRANDON, Man. — A man from an Orthodox Mennonite community in Manitoba has been sentenced to 18 months in jail for assaults on several children.

    Orthodox Mennonite Man In Manitoba Gets Jail Time For Assaulting Children

    Universities relax admission rules for Fort McMurray, Alta., students

    Universities relax admission rules for Fort McMurray, Alta., students
    Post-secondary institutions across Alberta are doing their utmost to make life easier for high school graduates impacted by the wildfires in Fort McMurray.

    Universities relax admission rules for Fort McMurray, Alta., students

    Elusive Toronto Capybara Captured After Escape From Park Zoo

    Elusive Toronto Capybara Captured After Escape From Park Zoo
    TORONTO — The second of two large rodents that broke out of a Toronto zoo and captured the city's attention has been rounded up.

    Elusive Toronto Capybara Captured After Escape From Park Zoo

    Court Approves Extradition Of Suspected Cyberbully In Amanda Todd Case

    AMSTERDAM — An Amsterdam court has approved the extradition of a Dutch man suspected him of a string of crimes against British Columbia teenager Amanda Todd, who took her own life after being bullied online.

    Court Approves Extradition Of Suspected Cyberbully In Amanda Todd Case

    Google Offers New Way For Users To Manage Ads, Personal Data

    SAN FRANCISCO — Google is trying to make it easier for you to manage the vast pool of information that it collects about your online activities across phones, computers and other devices.

    Google Offers New Way For Users To Manage Ads, Personal Data