Hibernation isn’t for everyone. Over the past few weeks, wildlife specialists for Jasper National Park have observed an increase in wildlife activity in the park, including cougar sightings at the east end of the community, wolf activity on the bench and coyote/fox sightings on trails and in the townsite.
Jasper National Park is home to a wide variety of wildlife and for many, seeing the large carnivores in their habitat is part of a great national park experience. While there are no serious safety concerns at this time, keep in mind that ‘tis the season for high predator activity—with prey concentrated within the community, predators will be hunting on the fringes of these areas.
Here are some tips to help you stay safe and protect these animals. Let’s keep the “wild” in wildlife!
Be proactive.
- Store your food, garbage and dog food securely so that carnivores such as wolves, cougars, or coyotes cannot gain access to it.
- Never approach, entice, or feed wildlife.
- Keep your pets on a leash. Do not leave pets unattended outside. All pets can attract carnivores and may be attacked.
- Carefully supervise small children when they are playing outdoors.
- Pay attention to your surroundings year-round.
View from a distance.
Watching a wolf or cougar can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but it needs to be done from a safe distance. Give them room and stay back:
- 100 metres from carnivores like wolves, coyotes and cougars.
- 200 metres from coyote, fox or wolf dens.
- 30 metres from all other large species.
- If driving, pull safely onto the shoulder of the road, and stay in your vehicle.
- Never entice an animal to come closer.
- Use binoculars or a telephoto lens for a “close-up”.
If approached by a wolf, cougar or coyote:
- Immediately pick up small children.
- Stand your ground and do not run. Never jump towards the animal.
- If the animal continues to move toward you, it may mean the animal has lost its fear of humans and may be testing to see if you are possible prey. Appear larger by boosting your size—this can be done by raising your pack or jacket above your head. Act aggressively—stomp your feet, yell loudly, throw something and/or use pepper spray.
If you see large carnivores:
Call 780-852-6155 (Jasper Dispatch 24/7) to report all sightings of large carnivores such as wolves and cougars, as well as any safety issues or concerns in regards to wildlife.
Parks Canada
Special to the Fitzhugh
