Dandelion-loving bears can't resist crossing highway in Kootenay National Park
Clock is ticking for snacking bears as Parks Canada clears dandelions to stop the animals crossing the road
The dandelion clock is ticking for bears snacking along Highway 93 in Kootenay National Park — as Parks Canada has started clearing the edible plants from one side of the road.
"[We're] hoping to keep the bears on one side of the highway so they're not crossing back and forth as often," Brianna Burley, a human-wildlife conflict specialist with Parks Canada told Daybreak South's Chris Walker.
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Staff are focusing their efforts on a section in the south part of the park known as Olive Lake, which Burley said is a hotspot for wildlife.
"We've started to receive a few reports of black bears showing up in that area," she said.
In addition to managing dandelions, staff are bringing back other ways of controlling the bear populations, including clearing litter from the highway and introducing no-stopping restrictions to stop travellers from gawking at the animals.
"We're just going to have to monitor and see how things go this year, so we can adjust accordingly for next year," said Burley.
To hear the full interview with Brianna Burley, listen to the audio labelled: Bear control on Highway 93.