Park wardens warn against feeding animals

Wardens are warning people not to feed wildlife in national parks, using a recent case where a visitor has been fined $ 1,000 as a deterrent.

“In the last few years, we’ve noticed an increase in wildlife feedings — particularly bear and wolf feedings in this area,” said Jim Mamalis, park warden supervisor in the Lake Louise, Yoho and Kootenay field unit for Parks Canada.

Last June, he said, tourists from New Zealand caught other park visitors on camera as they fed a black bear along Highway 93 North in Banff National Park.

The video evidence led to charges and a $ 1,000 court- ordered fine for Toronto resident Sershteh Sayedi in the fall.

Mamalis, who released the video Thursday to educate other visitors, said it was important evidence in the case because it clearly shows the visitors feeding the bear.

They’ve been noticing a similar problem this year on Highway 93 South in Kootenay National Park, where there’s a lot of roadside bears.

“It’s been increasing over the last few years,” said Mamalis, noting there have already been eight cases so far this year.

“We can speculate about the reasons for that but, for awhile, it was just taboo to do that in the parks. It was a very rare.

“Now, all of a sudden in the last three ... five, six years it’s really been increasing.”

He said it’s not clear whether it’s the higher number of visitors to the parks or the number of new visitors who aren’t familiar with the implications of feeding wildlife.

Feeding a bear or wolf cannot only endanger the animal, but also the people involved or other visitors.

“Being right up in the bear’s face, there’s a possibility of immediate harm to someone,” said Mamalis. “They’re also habituating the bear, getting them used to vehicles and comfortable being on the road, and what happens is they end up getting killed on the road by vehicles.”

Alternatively, the animal gets too familiar with people.

“Food conditioning can have

They’re getting them used to vehicles and comfortable being on the road, and they end up getting killed on the road by vehicles.

them come into campgrounds and villages and cause conflict with humans there and eventually have them be destroyed,” he said.

Mamalis said he’s certain they aren’t catching everyone who’s feeding wildlife in the park due to a lack of evidence.

If you see someone feeding a bear, officials ask that you write down their licence plate and, if it’s safe to do so, take a photo or video of the unlawful feeding and the person or vehicle involved. It can then be reported to 1- 888- WARDENS ( 927- 3367).