Officials believe food was left for bait by photographers so they could get better picture of wolves in Banff National Park in western Canada.
Photo Credit: Dawn Villella/Associated Press

Baiting wolves for photos “illegal, unacceptable”

Park officials in western Canada are worried that “wildlife paparazzi” are using food to bait wolves so they can get a good photograph. A park warden on patrol in Banff National Park on Sunday came upon a wolf feeding on a discarded, cooked turkey at the side of the road. Nearby were three vehicles with people inside taking pictures.

Feeding wild animals can draw them to highways where they risk being hit by vehicles. It also can habituate them to humans or areas humans frequent, and they may subsequently have to be destroyed.

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In August 2012 some Chinese tourists are thought to have thrown sandwich meat out a bus window to lure a mother bear and her cubs. © Courtesy of Jack Borno

Baiting “a sad reality”

Baiting is uncommon in national parks in Canada, but common outside protected areas, says Steve Michel, a human wildlife conflict specialist.

“The sad reality is that although in a national park it’s obvious to most people that this is unacceptable and illegal, outside of a national park environment it’s actually quite common for some unethical wildlife photographers to routinely bait animals to get the photos that they are looking for,” he said.

Categories: Environment & Animal Life
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