Jasper National Park issues new restrictions to enforce physical distancing with wildlife
Infraction would mean automatic court appearance and up to $25,000 fine
As many Albertans begin to explore the province's natural splendour after months of pandemic-induced isolation, Jasper National Park has put strict new guidelines in place to keep a safe distance between visitors and wildlife.
An order issued June 9 under the General Regulations of Canada National Parks Act designates roadside wildlife viewing as a restricted activity.
As a result, animal-watching is now subject to conditions that apply to all areas within 200 metres of roads or public spaces for driving or parking vehicles.
Visitors are required not to "willfully approach, remain, view, or engage in any activity" within 100 metres of bears, cougars or wolves, and within 30 metres of elk, moose, caribou, sheep or goats, except when inside a legally positioned vehicle. As well, people are not allowed to interfere with wildlife movement or create a "potentially hazardous condition or situation."
They also can't remain within these distances even during accidental or surprise encounters.
Encounters between people and wildlife are typical this time of year. During a two-day trip last week to Jasper with her family, Nilmini Weera had her own roadside fright.
She had just crossed the parking lot at Tangle Creek Falls. When she turned around, she saw a bear and her cub emerge from the forest canopy.
"I was so scared," Weera said. She asked a passerby to drive her back to the safety of her car.
"After that, I didn't even keep the bear spray in my backpack, I kept it in my hand."
It's the first time Jasper National Park has implemented restrictions on roadside wildlife viewing that go beyond visiting or stopping in a designated area. An infraction can yield fines to a maximum of $25,000 and require a court appearance.
Parks Canada resource conservation manager David Argument said fines are last resort, and park staff prefer to educate and communicate with visitors.
"The park wardens are challenged with having a tool that they can go to if they run into situations where visitors simply are choosing not to co-operate," Argument said.
"And that does happen, of course, that some people will choose to not co-operate and prioritize their need for that special photograph over the safety of the wildlife that they're viewing."
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Several factors motivated the decision, Argument said. It's calving season for elk, meaning new mothers are especially protective of their young.
Bears have also been a particular concern this year. The late snowmelt is believed to be a possible cause for more sightings as the animals forage for food in low-lying areas, he said.
"It's a bit of a recipe for encounters to occur."
In the longer view, Argument says there has also been an increasing trend of "wildlife viewing jams" when visitors stop on the highway to crowd around a nearby animal.
"It's the first time that we've felt the need to put this kind of order in place around wildlife viewing in a national park," he said.
"We don't want this to be a permanent thing."
The order also states that the restrictions are additionally aimed at reducing the formation of large groups that could create a COVID-19 spreading hazard.
The order is set to expire July 9, although Argument said it could be extended if needed.
"We'll assess as we go see what kind of compliance we get."
'Get out of there quickly'
Kim Titchener, founder of Bear Safety and More, said stopping to see bears can prevent them from enjoying their natural foods and even create stress for the animal.
"Your five minutes on the side of the highway is one of maybe 500" in a day for the bear, she said. That interferes with the bear's "space and time to feed without having to be concerned about people being adjacent to it."
Another worry for wildlife experts is habituation, in which an animal gets too used to the presence of humans.
Titchener recommends slowing down with hazards when passing bears and, if you have a proper zoom lens, parking at a distance for a couple of photos from inside the vehicle.
"If you've got an iPhone smartphone, then you have to accept that taking a picture of a bear with a head down on a dandelion bush really isn't gonna be on the next cover of National Geographic," she said.
"So just enjoy the view and then get out of there quickly as well because every time people do stop, they encourage more people to stop."