Sask. wildfires force animals to find new homes

However, Crabbe said he’s heard from people in Candle Lake, for example, who have reported a noticeable increase in animals in the provincial park just south of the evacuation zone. Organizers of the Ness Creek Music Festival northeast of Big River said they’re reminding people to keep food in their vehicles after an increase in bear sightings in the area.

But there doesn’t appear to be any concerns about predatory animals at this time, Crabbe said, adding most of them are in survival mode and concerned about finding a safe spot to stay put.

“Animals will typically try to flee to lakes or rivers where they know they can take refuge, but of course smaller animals have a tough time making it to a safe place,” Saigeon said.

Crabbe said many nesting birds and slow-moving amphibians will have died in the fires. He’s also concerned about at-risk species like caribou, who live in “old forest” areas that Crabbe said are usually the first to burn.

“They probably would make it out but I don’t know where would they go from there, because there’s not a lot of old forest left across Canada. So it’s going to be difficult for them to find that; they’d either have to adjust to a different type of habitat or they’ll have some issues as we go forward,” he said.

It takes about two to three years for a forest destroyed by fire to regenerate to the point where animals can move back in. Crabbe said the effects on wildlife and their migration patterns won’t be fully known until fall.

“The majority of them are pretty adept at getting out of the way of fires. They’ve been doing it for a long time and their populations have always come back from these types of events.”

bmcadam@rawlco.com

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by Bre McAdam

Sask. wildfires force animals to find new homes

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