Changes needed to reduce wildlife interactions, study says
Report prompted by shooting of Bear 148 suggests ways to improve coexistence
A report outlining ways to improve human-wildlife coexistence in the Bow Valley cites the movements and management of a female grizzly bear known as Bear 148 as a case that shed light on the challenges faced by various agencies that oversee the area.
The report, released last week, indicates the movements of the bear in 2017 highlighted issues including enforcement capacity, different management tools and approaches, continued human activity in wildlife corridors, risks of injury, public communication and a lack of public compliance.
Bear 148 was shot and killed by a hunter near McBride, B.C., in September 2017 after the animal was relocated twice following a series of concerning encounters with people near the Canmore town site.
A working group assembled to study human-wildlife coexistence in the region has made 28 recommendations for changes to reduce both the probability and severity of human-wildlife interactions, falling into the categories of transboundary management, wildlife in developed areas, habitat security, food conditioning and habituation, people compliance and wildlife management.
Hilary Young, Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative program manager and a member of the working group, said the report “lays the groundwork for better engagement and communication with the public, as well as more proactive and collaborative management.”
Recommended steps include educating the public on the need to keep wildlife out of developed areas, increasing enforcement capacity to improve compliance on securing wildlife attractants, pursuing opportunities to remove or relocate certain existing developments — such as trails, roads and buildings — within wildlife corridors, and implementing humanuse restrictions annually where predictable patterns occur.
“The community will need to work through some of the more challenging issues facing them when they recreate and visit in the area,” said Katie Morrison, conservation director with Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society of Southern Alberta.
“Our ability to ensure the Bow Valley remains a vital link for wildlife between Banff National Park and Kananaskis Country will depend on us all working toward the broader good of wildlife and our communities.”