Question: Who gets behind the wheel, spends hours and hours on the road, sometimes from dawn to dusk, with stops every now and then to try and accomplish some work before moving on, while burning fuel as emissions drift over the landscape?
Elsewhere in Canada, and in other parts of the world, the likely answer might be a long-haul trucker busily engaged in working an 18-speed transmission as they go about their business of delivering all manners of goods and commodities.
Here in the Bow Valley, a long-haul trucker could be the answer to that question… but it’s just as likely the answer is a “wildlife photographer” who’s out trolling along Bow Valley highways and byways looking for that perfect wildlife photo.
Along the way, as they drive up and down, up and down, the roads, stopping when wildlife presents itself in the ditches or on the shoulders, they are adding to the problem of habituating said wildlife to the constant presence of vehicles stopping near them.
The trouble is, once a grizzly, say, is habituated to vehicles, and possibly sees them as little threat, can a bear enjoying a dandelion salad alongside Highway 93 South, for example, differentiate between a “wildlife photographer” trolling along, ready to slam on the binders at its appearance, or a leadfoot maniac en route to who knows where with an ETA to meet?
Not likely.
Being that the majority of the wildlife photographer trollers are at work in the national parks locally, we think it time Parks Canada take steps to reduce the activity.
It’s great that Parks has seen the value of having Bear Guardians out and about and, when bear jams occur (tourists stopping for photos of bears) doing their best to educate the public as to the consequences of their actions and ensuring responsible viewing practices, etc.
In fact, we quite like the Bear Guardians’ Bear Care Swear:
To save Banff’s bears, we do declare,
We won’t leave food out anywhere.
Because they’re there, and wild, and rare,
We’ll stay alert – and drive with care.
And if we spot a roadside bear,
We’ll slow down but... not stop and stare!
The thing is, if it’s best to urge the general public to move along and not stop when wildlife is spotted, how are trollers any different?
Tourists may stop and create a bear jam, yes, because they simply can’t take the chance of missing out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s understandable that they desperately want to stop when they spot an absolute wilderness icon like a bear or wolf.
But that doesn’t explain the actions of wildlife photographer trollers who log long hours and many kilometres behind the wheel in an effort to earn a living by capturing images of those same roadside icons.
Again, a bear or wolf is unlikely to differentiate between a troller and a family RV hitting the brakes to see what they’re up to and trying to get a photo – or a leadfoot maniac who won’t brake or slow in trying to keep to a steady 120 km/h.
Should a bear or wolf not recognize the difference and should it then decide to cross a road in the presence of vehicles it’s habituated to seeing…
