Jasper has a lot of selling points, but one of the biggest is our wildlife.
Bears, elk, bighorn sheep and mountain goats all make the tourist checklist, as people scour the landscape in search of their prize.
The challenge is, it’s not enough for people to just see an animal in its natural environment, visitors need proof that they saw it; they need that perfect photo.
This is where things get complicated. Because, although, we sell Jasper’s wildlife as one of our marque attractions, it is illegal to touch, feed or harass said wildlife.
In other words, it is illegal to chase down an animal in order to snap a photo. Yet, it happens all over the park.
This week, social media feeds were full of photos and videos of people getting dangerously close to grazing elk along Highway 16. People were out in droves, creeping ever closer to ensure the majestic animals would appear as more than just a speck in their cellphone photos.
One woman even tripped right in front of an elk that was making its way toward her. She then scrambled to get up and ran for dear life.
As locals, it’s easy to judge the stupidity of these folks. We know the dangers wild animals pose and we also know that they are, in fact, wild and are meant to remain that way.
However, people coming from far off lands with few, if any, wild animals, don’t have that knowledge. Many of the animals they’re used to seeing are in zoos; they’re there solely for their enjoyment.
Jasper’s highways have signage informing visitors that it is “unlawful” to approach wildlife. But, considering the number of bear jams and elk jams that happen in the park each day, signage isn’t enough.
More needs to be done, not only to protect our visitors, but to protect our wildlife and Jasper’s reputation as a safe place to visit.
Imagine the headlines if a tourist was mauled by an elk or a bear. The story would make international news and perhaps scare away future business.
Although the onus is arguably on visitors to do some research before visiting our park, we know that’s not happening, so now it’s time that we step up and do more.
Perhaps that means creating signs that use a word more commonly understood than “unlawful”—illegal would likely suffice. Or maybe it means creating informative videos to post on JNP’s social media feeds, warning people of the dangers of approaching wildlife.
Whatever it is, we need to figure it out soon, before we regret sitting back and watching as one of our uninformed visitors is severely injured or killed.
