If there’s one place on this planet that one would think witnessing a species’ demise is simply not an option, it’s within our very own national parks system.
Yet, as a recent report from the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) has stated (page 5), the central population of mountain caribou, which includes the protected regions of Banff and Jasper, is endangered.
There’s something wrong with that picture. Mind you, there was something wrong with the caribou picture in Banff park for years – as the animals’ numbers dwindled to the point where a remaining handful were wiped out in a single avalanche in 2009.
Clearly, steps need to be taken to address the problem of BNP being caribou-less and Jasper herd numbers failing. And, being that the “sooner than later” period is already past, something needs to be done, posthaste.
Not that Banff and Jasper are alone; caribou numbers are on the slide everywhere in Alberta and B.C. and north to Yukon and NWT.
We realize a captive breeding and augmentation program is a cornerstone of Parks’ caribou conservation strategy, but, based on what lately has appeared to be a reduction of focus on science within our parks, we believe the popular “git ‘er done” credo needs to be emphasized.
After all, as caribou numbers spiraled downward to single digits, there must have been alarm bells ringing and opportunities presented to augment the herd by introducing new animals and new bloodlines. Surely not allowing a caribou herd to disappear should have been deemed as important as the creation of new special events to attract more visitors within a national park.
We realize things creep along in a bureaucracy as large as Parks’, but restoring a caribou herd, much like the successful work that has returned native species in parks water bodies, should be a priority. Getting caribou back on the landscape should be as important as the removal of introduced brook trout in favour of native cutthroats – and the COSEWIC report should provide the impetus.
Banff, the birthplace of Canada’s national park system, should not be identified as an area where a species has disappeared from the landscape.
The bears are out there
As spring appears to be arriving (finally) in the Bow Valley, it’s worth noting that bears have decided it’s time to get out of their dens and get filling their bellies.
While everyone is anxious to get their boots on trails, bikes on singletrack and absorb some precious sun, it must be remembered that we’re again sharing our recreational spaces with bears. With vegetation greening up first at lower elevations, hungry bears, often sows with cubs in tow, will be on the lookout for new shoots, dandelions and other easy pickings.
That means it’s up to front and backcountry enthusiasts to be aware of bears and take the proper precautions (carry bear spray, make noise, travel in groups, etc.) to ensure human/wildlife interaction with bruins are kept to an absolute minimum.
