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Garbage left behind at Cascade Ponds has locals calling for increased enforcement

“Indirectly feeding wildlife by being careless and leaving garbage out is just as bad as directly feeding wildlife. The end result is the same in both cases – the animal will likely have to be relocated or destroyed.”
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Garbage and food scraps are seen strewn around a picnic table at Cascade Ponds on April 12, 2021 in Banff National Park. SUBMITTED PHOTO

BANFF – Garbage and food dumped at Cascade Ponds in Banff National Park has drawn backlash amid fears it will attract wildlife, including bears emerging from hibernation.

A local resident discovered bags of trash, which had been picked apart by critters, on Monday morning (April 12) and reported it immediately to Park Canada whose staff arrived within 10 minutes.

A photograph of the scene posted on Overheard in Banff Facebook page generated well over 100 comments, from "heartbreaking," "wtf is wrong with people," to "that’s how you destroy bears" and "there’s no excuse for this.”

With the number of visitors expected to be high this spring and summer as people who are fed up with COVID-19 restrictions seek to get outdoors, conservationists say Parks Canada should step up education, patrols, and enforcement.

“Education is always key to start off with,” said Nick de Ruyter, Bow Valley WildSmart program director, adding that sometimes, however, charges and fines are the only way to change some people’s behaviour.

“All rules and laws should be enforced, and if that means having a bit of blitz, then I think that’s a good thing.”

With bears coming out of hibernation and the Bow Valley wolf pack in the region, de Ruyter said it is critical people don’t feed wildlife directly, or leave garbage and food behind.

“Bears are looking for any kind of food they can find and the easier the meal the better,” he said. Grizzly bear 122, the dominant male bear of the Bow Valley, has been seen out his den already.

“Indirectly feeding wildlife by being careless and leaving garbage out is just as bad as directly feeding wildlife. The end result is the same in both cases – the animal will likely have to be relocated or destroyed.”

Wild animals that access human food and garbage can lose their natural fear and wariness of people, said de Ruyter, noting they can start to associate an easy meal with people.

“They might start acting bolder and start approaching people for food at day-use areas and campsites, which increases the possibility of human-wildlife conflicts,” he said. “It’s very difficult to re-teach wild animals to be wild again once they’ve gotten used to human food.”

The Bow Valley Naturalists also called on Parks Canada to step up education, make sure signage is clear and have roving staff to inform visitors about attractants and how human behaviour can harm wildlife, big or small.

“Trash in bags is still trash. Animals – squirrels and grey jays, ravens, coyotes bears or a domestic dog – are brilliant at ripping open and breaking into many different kinds of containments,” said Colleen Campbell, a BVN board member. “Sometimes people are not aware of the challenges for wildlife and that some new behaviour is worth learning.”

If people are discarding garbage bags on the ground because of COVID-19 anxiety, perhaps afraid to touch the bin handles, Campbell said they still need to make sure nothing is accessible to wildlife.

“At the very least, put the remains in the wildlife-proof trash containers that are all over public use areas,” she said.

“If the bins are full, put it all in the back of the car and take it home to dispose of in a familiar garbage process.”

Parks Canada did not grant the Outlook’s request for an interview on this story prior to publication.

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