Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Developmentįirst Nations in both the capture and release locationsįorest Enhancement Society of British ColumbiaĬampbell River Fish and Wildlife Association To do it, we partner closely with community organizations, stakeholders and many others including: This project is definitely a group effort, requiring many helping hands to make it happen. Hi there drk – thanks for your interest in this program. Do you have any feedback or input on this or anything else we do here in the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure? Let us know in the comments below. How’s that for a comeback story? It sure makes us happy to keep wildlife and travellers safe in this way.
Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development.Although their global distribution is smaller and more fragmented than it was pre-1900, we can happily say that the BC population is growing, especially where trans-locations have re-established Roosevelt Elk through their historic range. This type of translocation is key to the recovery of Roosevelt Elk, they help improve how the ecosystem works and provide future opportunities for recreational and food uses. More than 850 elk have been relocated in the Coast Area since 1978, with approximately two thirds of these elk moved around the South Coast Region since 2000. Since about 2000, captures have been happening annually on the Sunshine Coast, moving elk within the South Coast Region. The first translocation within the Sunshine Coast occurred in 1996. There have been a few other moves between the island and the Sunshine Coast since then, but the vast majority of efforts now happen within a region as opposed to between them. The first translocation from Vancouver Island to the Sunshine Coast was back in 1987. Since 1978, there have been more than 30 projects undertaken on the Island. Estimated distribution and population density of Roosevelt elk in British Columbia (Figure 1, Management Plan for Roosevelt Elk in BC (2015).Ī Brief History of Roosevelt Elk Translocation in BCīeginning on Vancouver Island in 1978, translocation became a core elk management tool almost immediately. They were transported first by road and then over water to be released at priority sites on the mainland coast. This year a group of fifteen elk (8 females, 5 calves, and 2 males) were successfully captured from an area beside a Highway 19A north of Campbell River. Thanks to the Environmental Enhancement Fund, we are able to work alongside a host of other agencies and organizations to track the movement of elk and then capture and transport the animals to other locations. In addition to reducing the risk of wildlife deaths, this also helps reduce the wildlife hazard to travellers on roads frequented by elk. How do they do it? They focus on herds coming too close to active farms and along the highways.
Happily, provincial biologists have been capturing groups of nuisance elk from healthy populations and relocating them to suitable areas throughout southwest British Columbia. We do our best to keep both everyone safe and sound on their journey, and our work with Roosevelt Elk on Vancouver Island and on the Sunshine Coast of BC is no exception.ĭid you know the majestic Roosevelt Elk could once be found roaming around what is now Science World along the shores of False Creek in downtown Vancouver? Sadly, unregulated hunting for meat and hides during the gold rush of the mid-1800s contributed to the local extinction of these elk in the southern portion of their BC range and a large part of their historic range is now occupied by humans. Wildlife and highways in BC often cross paths.
0 kommentar(er)
