Elk sightings not unusual, but using guns on them is,

Wardens even fire paintballs to mark animals that won’t take hint to stay out of town

Elk in the town at the heart of Banff National Park are close to a daily occurrence, but the sound of gunfire isn’t.

The local Parks Canada staff has worked out a system of preventing conflict between human residents and the unwanted visitors, which are believed to show up because wolves don’t come into town. They also like grazing on lawns and gardens.

Still, conflict does happen, and people do get hurt.

A park warden’s summary of the situation warns: “The most serious elk/human conflicts occur when elk charge at and make contact with people. Cow elk use their hoofs to kick and stomp on a victim, while bulls sometimes lower their head and use their antlers as an offensive weapon.

“Although elk/human conflicts may occur year round, the likelihood of an elk charging and injuring someone is greatest during the spring calving season and fall rut when the elk are at the height of their aggressiveness.

“Camera-happy photographers or unsuspecting joggers and hikers are the most likely victims, especially when the personal space of an elk is invaded.”

The main tactic has been to warn people to avoid elk, especially in spring and fall.

But wardens also drive away elk, and fire paintballs to mark elk that won’t take a hint.

“Repeat offenders are aversively conditioned and discouraged from using the townsite, removed from the park, or as a last resort, destroyed,” the park says.

The conditioning includes firing pellet guns that sting but don’t injure them.

At Waterton Lakes National Park in southern Alberta, Locke Marshall of Parks Canada has come face-toface with elk and respects their size, but can’t remember a local elk hurting anyone.

“They tend to be quite fearful of people,” except for elk that spend time near a town as they do in Banff, he said.

“Most of the time I see elk, they run from me.”

“First of all, people have to be smart enough not to approach the animals. That’s the main thing,” he said.

“Elk are really good swimmers,” and the most obvious way for an elk to reach central Ottawa is by swimming from Gatineau, he suggests.

“That would be very feasible. They swim across rivers and lakes all the time.”

He said the photos of Ottawa’s elk look like a “middle-aged” animal three or more years old.

A fact sheet from the Canadian Wildlife Service adds that “it must always be kept in mind that animals habituated to humans may be dangerous if approached too closely. Bulls, especially, should be given a wide berth during the early autumn rutting season.”