Albertans need to stay aware of wildlife while enjoying the outdoors, advocates say
For those Albertans getting out and enjoying the outdoors this long weekend, there's a chance you may encounter wildlife, and Hendrik Boesch with Wild Smart was out in West Bragg Creek on Saturday giving outdoor enthusiasts tips to stay safe.
'Make yourself aware,' explained Boesch. 'Talk loud, do a few shouts like, 'Hey bear!' or something so that the animals can hear your presence and you don't surprise them.'
Plenty of bears and even cougars have been spotted this spring, but Boesch stresses there are other animals we need to be careful around too.
'We have elk, we have deer, we have moose,' Boesch said. 'We always try to tell people that it's much safer to keep your dog on a leash, keep it close to you because you never know how an animal might react.'
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Those tips are always a good reminder and hikers like Bailey Porter and her friend keep that in mind.
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'We always have our bear spray with us,' said Porter. 'We have our dogs — they make us feel safe — and we have some bells on our bags.'
Earlier this month there were two cougar sightings in Harmony, a community west of Calgary. The first was at an off-leash dog park, the second a few hundred metres away at a popular driving range.
Liam Glass, who works at Launchpad Golf Mickelson National, tells Global News it has prompted them to take a few extra precautions.
'We have some horns and other things as well,' Glass explained. 'And as well just letting people know that are going out on the course that there have been sightings… call into the gold shop and let anyone know if they see anything.'
Anyone who spots dangerous wildlife is asked to call Parks Canada or Alberta Fish and Wildlife to let them know what you saw, when you saw it and where.
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