CALGARY, AB – A new project is launching in southern Alberta to monitor wildlife movement across Highway 3 through the Crowsnest Pass.
Linking Landscapes will use cameras throughout the Jim Prentice Wildlife Corridor to collect images and identify species in the area.
Animals using the corridor include elk, deer, moose and bighorn sheep as well as bears, wolves, wolverines and cougars.
Officials say monitoring wildlife movement will help shape future conservation and stewardship initiatives by pinpointing the areas of highest use.
“This camera trap project is an important step in expanding our understanding of how wildlife use the Jim Prentice Wildlife Corridor. By determining what species are crossing the highway, where they’re moving, and at what times of year we can make better recommendations on how to mitigate wildlife and vehicle collisions, which will make the Crowsnest Pass a safer place for people and for animals.” -Tom Lynch-Staunton, Regional Vice President, Nature Conservancy of Canada
Besides the risk to humans and animal life, collisions involving wildlife on Highway 3 are the leading causes of comprehensive damage claims to vehicles.
The wildlife corridor is still a work in progress but the Nature Conservancy of Canada says once it’s complete it hopes to discuss, with the Government of Alberta, the construction of a wildlife crossing.
