Procedure
|
Discussion of slide
images
 1. Show first image
Uninvited black bears at a picnic, Jasper
Park Lodge, ca. 1960s, Postcard, Grant-Mann Lithographics Ltd.
Vancouver
a) Use this first image as a warm-up for the ones to follow.
Are following statements true
or false?
(Answers in italics)
T F
These bears have proper table manners.
T F
Wild bears have interrupted someone’s coffee break.
T F Any food is good food to a
bear.
T
F The bears are really concerned that someone is
taking their picture at close
range.
T F People should be able to
leave food outside without
consequences.
T F If
bears learn to associate the smell of humans with food, they will search
for food in places where there are people.
b) What do you think is wrong with this
picture?
c) Message: A human
fed bear is a dead bear (unless it lives in the
zoo!)
 2. Image: Black bear in
driver’s seat, ca. 1940, Postcard # 1023, Byron Harmon, Banff, Canada
a) Discussion points:
b) Message:
-
This bear was
likely coaxed into position with food treats from people. Bears that
become accustomed to people food often seek it out over and above natural
food sources.
-
Feeding bears at the roadside was common many years ago, before the
harmful effects of this practice were fully realized. Today, for the
safety of humans and animals, it is illegal to feed wildlife in Canada’s
national parks.
3. Image: Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep beside the
highway, Colleen Campbell, Canmore, Canada
a)
-
Why have the people stopped their cars here?
-
Why are the sheep on the side of the road?
-
Is it safe for the people to
be out of their cars?
b)
-
What traffic rules have been broken by the
driver of the red car?
-
Is it safe to be parked on or near a curve in
the road? (The driver of the red car has crossed over solid and
dashed lines, parking the car on the wrong side of the highway, in the
driving lane, facing on-coming traffic. Both cars are parked dangerously
near a curve.)
c)
-
Do the sheep appear to be bothered by the people
standing nearby? Do you think the sheep have become accustomed to seeing people?
Is this a good thing?
- Bears sometimes graze at the side of the road,
like these sheep. What do drivers often do when they see a bear at the
side of the road? Would you get out of your car if you saw a bear at the
side of the road?
-
Do you think bears would be as tolerant of
people as these sheep are?
d)
-
Message: Many wild animals graze beside
highways at certain times of the year. Bears need certain kinds of food
at certain times of the year to survive. They
sometimes find what they need right next to the highway and may react
aggressively if interrupted while eating.
-
All wild animals can be dangerous and
people have been hurt by aggressive sheep and deer. Keep the wild in
wildlife, stay in your car.
 4. Image: Captain Conrad O’Brien-ffrench and bear at Banff nuisance grounds. Photographer, Rosalie ffrench. Archives, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
a)
b)
- Why is there smoke in this picture?
- What are ‘nuisance grounds”?
- Do you think this picture was taken recently?
Why?
c)
-
Message: This photograph was taken at the
Banff dump or “nuisance grounds” as they used to be called, many years
ago. People took garbage there, then it was burned, hence the
smoke.
- Mr. O’Brien-ffrench lived nearby and was
probably very familiar with the bears that visited the dump. Because of
the abundance of food at the dump, the bear in the picture had plenty to
eat and was likely quite tolerant of people and other animals.
- Attitudes regarding the acceptable behaviour of
people and wild animals have changed a great deal since this photograph
was taken. We now know that when wild animals feed at dumps, they become
dependent on them as a source of food and lose their natural fear of
humans. They often seek other sources of people food, and may become
aggressive in order to get it. There are no longer garbage dumps in
Banff National Park. Instead, Banff’s garbage is taken to Calgary for
disposal.
- It is never safe to approach a bear like the man in the
picture.
|
