Last Tuesday was a dark day, first I come across a dead carcass of black bear middle of the highway, the bear had jumped over the fence and got hit while trying to cross the busy road. I called it in and few stopped to help move it off the highway before colleagues from Canada Parks arrived. Then getting home I found out the alpha female wolf who was becoming bold near humans after being food conditioned, was put down that morning. For a moment it was hard to believe this happened in a national park, it supposed to be a place that kept wildlife safe. More works is needed , but the work already done played a role getting them this far.
Many hours were spent by colleagues keeping the bear away from danger, before it picked a wrong time and place to get to the other side of the highway. As for the wolf, other members of the pack, not to the same extreme as the former alpha female are also showing similar behaviour. In many parts of the country, forget that, just in Alberta the whole pack would have been put down long time ago. Lot of work ahead for our wildlife specialist team to keep rest of the pack wild, that includes three yearlings (one of them in the attached picture), pups of this year and the alpha male. Rest of us can do our part by keeping our food to ourselves, As hard as it is hearing a wolf was put down because of human mistakes, it's even harder for the wolf pack. who has to move on with a member of the family been taken away by us, wildlife has no defence for that.
Until next moment,
Amar
