Wildife. It is one of the biggest draws for tourists in Jasper National Park, but Parks Canada wants to remind everyone of safety steps to take if you’re on the prowl for a photo or seeking a sighting. There’s more to the fauna of the forest than bears, too.

“Probably the big things you’re going to see are elk, deer, sheep, coyotes and wolves,” advises Wes Bradford, the human-wildlife conflict specialist for the park.

Either on foot, or in the comfort (and added safety) of your vehicle, these animals can be seen on the Pyramid Bench, and all along the Yellowhead Highway east of town. Highway 16 near Jasper Lake is a particularly good spot to view bighorn sheep, which frequent the rocky outcroppings and venture onto the road in certain places. Obey the localized speed limits, which drop down to 70 kilometres per hour in areas that are heavily used by wildlife.

The Maligne Lake road is another good bet for a bit of drive-by wildlife watching. A group of caribou had been frequenting the area between the Watchtower and Medicine Lake in previous months and there are also wolves and bears about.

Bradford warns that bears, especially those with small cubs, are frequenting the roadsides, where they can take advantage of comparatively rich forage.

“People should be really contentious as they’re driving,” he said. “They are all around and all over the place.”

Grizzly and black bears intently focused on restoring the food energy spent during the winter months might be placidly eating despite the presence of motorists and amateur photographers. Despite this calm behaviour, Bradford reminds visitors that wild animals are indeed wild and deserve respect and distant. Don’t leave your car!

“Don’t go off following them into the bush, either,” he adds. “People were doing that on the Maligne Lake road (last week).”

It’s human nature to be curious and stop at the side of the road to observe bears and other wildlife, but these “bear jams” can be a serious traffic hazard, Bradford warns.

“When you come upon a bear jam, don’t speed through,” he said. “Report bear jams to wardens and that way we can get out there and ask people to move on.”

Relatively close contact with humans might lead to bears developing an unhealthy comfort with that proximity, so wardens will haze or stress bears shortly after clearing bear jams. So if you spot wardens using noisemakers or rubber bullets on a roadside bruin, don’t be alarmed.

“We need to avoid getting them accustomed to people,” Bradford said.

It’s not just along the road that Parks will take an aggressive stance against encroaching bears. All built-up areas within the park, including campgrounds, are considered by Bradford and his colleagues to be “bear-free zones”. The active management of bears that approach these areas is preventing the necessity of more serious measures.

“We didn’t set a bear trap all of last year,” Bradford said. “We didn’t remove any either. But we spent a whole pile of time on hazing.”

It’s not just bears that Park visitors should be paying careful attention to at this time of year. Coyotes and wolves are in their den locations and as a result will be acting more agressively than normal, Bradford said.

“They den all over the place and they’ll be very protective of those places, particularly with dogs,” he said. “If people see a coyote on the trail, avoid the area, but let Parks know about it too.”

For any and all species you might encounter during your time in Jasper, Bradford requests that people avoid surprising or putting stress on the animals.

If you do get lucky and spot one of the more rare species in the park, call the warden’s office at 852-6155. They’re looking for reports of  caribou, wolf, lynx, and wolverine sightings.