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Wildlife fence damaged by vandal

DEAD MAN’S FLATS – A vandal cut a hole in the wildlife exclusion fence on the Trans-Canada Highway, putting both people and wildlife in danger.
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Alberta Parks is investigating a hole found cut into wildlife exclusion fencing along the Trans-Canada Highway near Dead Man’s Flats.

DEAD MAN’S FLATS – A vandal cut a hole in the wildlife exclusion fence on the Trans-Canada Highway, putting both people and wildlife in danger.

It’s believed a deer used the hole in the fence to get onto the highway just east of Dead Man’s Flats, where it was struck and killed by a vehicle on June 23.

Wildlife officials say that based on tracks in the area, it is clear the deer figured out how to push through the hole.

“By cutting a hole in the fence you’re endangering not only wildlife, but also people travelling down the highway,” said John Paczkowski, an ecologist with Alberta Parks, noting the vehicle would have been damaged.

Officials aren’t sure when or why the fence was cut.

“I’m sort of puzzled,” Paczkowski said. “It’s someone who is foolish and not thinking about the repercussions of cutting the fence to both people and wildlife.”

In the short-term, the hole has been patched with bale wire and the responsible authorities have been notified to fix the fence as soon as possible.

“It’s impassable to a deer, but I worry that it’s damaged enough that maybe something can squeeze underneath,” Paczkowski said.

These types of breaches of the highway fencing are not uncommon.

“Probably about once a year someone will cut a hole in the fence for some reason,” Paczkowski said, noting people wanting to access their favourite fishing hole have done this in the past.

“Any time there’s a breach to the fence, then people and wildlife are at risk so someone who did that intentionally, I just can’t figure it out.”

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