Kouchibouguac ecologist warns about feeding bears, animals

People don't seem to understand the importance of not feeding the animals in national parks, says a Parks Canada ecologist at Kouchibouguac National Park.

Eric Tremblay says visitors to Kouchibouguac in eastern New Brunswick persist in feeding birds, squirrels, ducks, raccoons and bears.

Staff have been forced to relocate four bears so far this summer because the animals had lost their fear of humans.

Tremblay says people seem to have all kinds of excuses for breaking the rules about feeding.

"They think that the animals need us in their natural world, they need to be fed and it's maybe empathy towards the animal," Tremblay said.

"Or maybe people like to give animals human traits like anthropomorphism. And that leads to people wanting to help the animals but in fact they don't help.

"When you see a young animal in the wild, it doesn't mean its mother abandoned it."

Law bans feeding all animals

Tremblay is reminding people this month there is a law against feeding wildlife in national parks.

The National Parks Act and its regulations forbids feeding of any kind and provides for charges and a fine of $300 for people found guilty of breaking the law.

​Tremblay says the law covers feeding all wildlife in the parks including birds, squirrels, raccoons and even ducks.

Information Morning - Fredericton8:23No Feeding Animals

Parks Canada is begging people to stop feeding wild animals in the National Parks. Ecologist Eric Tremblay says it's become a huge problem.

And that means no food of any kind.

"Even feeding breadcrumbs to ducks, because first of all it's not their natural diet and it's not good for the digestive system, any veterinarian could tell you that, " Tremblay said.

"And it's accustomizing an animal to human feeding and that animal," he said.

"When you are gone from the park at the end of your vacation in September, that duck that has been fed all summer may not survive the winter because he never learned how to feed himself."

Tremblay says after the forced relocation of four bears so far this season, staff at Kouchibouguac National Park are using a "hazing" program to ensure other bears don't lose their fear of humans.

During the hazing, staff use "banger" guns that set off loud noises and are also firing rubber bullets to instill fear of humans in the animals.