Getting along with wildlife this hiking and camping season

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Canadians have had to deal with so much lately – the fallout from COVID, skyrocketing food prices, interest rates threatening to go through the roof, the price of lettuce.

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And…attacks from wild animals across the nation.

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That’s right – we’re talking black bears, cougars, elk, coyotes and those annoying Canada geese who scare the daylights when they start hissing and chasing innocent bystanders.

According to data gathered from the Parks Canada Agency by betting site SportingPedia Canada, on average, one person in 8,600 has been attacked by a wild animal in the past decade – translating into “at least one resident of every small-sized town in Canada having suffered a wild animal attack,” notes a recent media release.

Elk are the most likely to attack, followed by grizzly and black bears, depending on the province or territory you live.

Why this study – and why now? For starters, Canada is home to some of the most glorious scenery not to mention stunning national parks and panorama. Plus hiking and camping season is here.

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So now is as good a time as ever to be prepared.

“One of our team members who resides in Edmonton noticed a cougar last month while he was walking around Terwillegar Park, so he suggested writing a study focused on the chances of being attacked by wildlife in each Canadian province,” said company spokesperson Paul Kemp, in a recent email, adding that, with many people hiking in Canada’s national parks over the weekends, “our team decided to see what dangers lurk behind the beautiful landscapes.”

Data revealed how every province has its own set of wildlife concerns, with bears being one of the biggest wildlife people need to be aware of encountering.

Canada is huge – covering roughly 9.98 million square kilometres – with a climate range that can swing from continental to subarctic and Arctic from one end of the country to the other. It’s majestic and stunning, and its “plains, mountains, boreal forests, and tundras are home to a wide variety of wildlife,” notes the site. Plus there are vast,  isolated swathes of land that are sparsely populated, and “where seeing a bear or a moose is just as likely as seeing another human being.”

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Encounters with wild animals are not as uncommon as one might think – in southern Ontario, for instance, coyote sightings are becoming commonplace. Research shows wildlife sightings and animal attacks have increased over the past decade, as more people now go to traditional wildlife habitats, both to camp and to live, not to mention urban sprawl encroaching on wildlife habit.

And, as long as nobody gets hurt, some encounters can be comical: Recently in November a grizzly bear entered a cabin in the B.C. village of Iskut, where it ransacked the freezer and the food storage cupboard. The owner, a senior woman, luckily escaped, and a happy bear left with its version of Uber.

With hiking and camping season on the horizon, experts are encouraging outdoor lovers to be diligent, and know the landscape, as well as the wild animals who live there.

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Club Tread recommends people become familiar with the landscape, and the animals, stressing a person never approach a wild animal – and certainly never approach with food. As well, stop trying to take a selfie with something wild, regardless of how far off in the distance you may think that wildlife is (many animals move mighty fast!)

It’s all about practising wildlife safety, notes koa.com: Maintain your distance (wild animals get extremely defensive especially if babies are around), avoid feeding any wild animals, make loud noises when walking or encountering any wild animal (except for bears – in this instance, talk softly, wave your arms around) – and learn to identify any animal markings or droppings.

Lastly – just be careful out there. Choose your camp sites carefully, do your research, talk to park rangers and remember, you’re sharing space with a wildlife animal’s home.

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How Common Are Animal Attacks in Each Province?

Attacks by wild animals vary widely across the 10 provinces and three territories of Canada. The reason for this are both the geographical and the biodiversity, along with the fact that the country’s population is mainly concentrated along the Canada-U.S. border, while northern areas such as the Nunavut territory are sparsely populated, meaning the likelihood of a human encountering a black bear there is not the same as it is in British Columbia, for example.

According to the SportingPedia Canada research with Parks Canada, in the last decade, Alberta seems to have the most  attacks, followed by British Columbia and Saskatchewan.

Bear attacks – be they grizzly, black or polar – are one of the most dangerous animal attacks across the nation, except in Alberta, where the elk number the most dangerous.