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Canadian wildlife resort offers a night with wolves, experts warn against trend
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Parc Omega in Quebec, Canada, puts guests face-to-face with nature when they book a night at the park’s cabin. Some wildlife experts in Wyoming, meanwhile, say that such meetings between humans and wolves can cause negative impacts to the wild animals.
Imagine a pane of glass separating you from a pack of wolves. A wildlife preserve in Canada uses giant windows and sliding doors to give guests a look inside a wolves habitat.
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A local researcher in Wyoming said changing a wolf’s surroundings to include more interaction with humans can shift its behavior and create a false sense of security.
Wildlife experts said the trend could become dangerous if it’s brought to Wyoming National Parks because it blurs the line between wildlife and human interaction. Wolves aren’t known to attack humans, but experts said the growing popularity can change that. Once animals become too familiar with people, it decreases their natural fear of humans.
Parc Omega’s website states that its experience puts safety precautions in place for lodgers. Visitors are not allowed to feed the wolves or open the windows to interact directly with animals. It also mentions a tall fence separating the animal’s habitat from the lodge’s yard and patio.
Right now, across America’s national parks, there aren’t any wildlife-viewing lodges. Many parks use technology or designated viewing areas to keep people and animals separate.
[Jack Aylmer]
IMAGINE BEING WITHIN FEET OF A WOLF HOWLING AT THE MOON?
THAT’S THE CONVERSATION WILDLIFE EXPERTS ARE HAVING IN WYOMING…WITH NOTHING BUT GLASS SEPARATING YOU FROM A PACK OF WOLVES.
THE DISCUSSION COMES FROM A WILDLIFE PRESERVE IN CANADA ALLOWING TOURISTS TO SLEEP WITH THE PREDATORS.
PARC OMEGA IN QUEBEC PUTS GUESTS FACE TO FACE WITH NATURE WHEN THEY BOOK A NIGHT AT THEIR CABIN. THE WILDLIFE PARK USES WINDOWS AND SLIDING DOORS TO GIVE GUESTS A LOOK INSIDE A WOLVES HABITAT.
A LOCAL RESEARCHER IN WYOMING SAID CHANGING A WOLVES SURROUNDINGS TO INCLUDE MORE INTERACTION WITH HUMANS CAN SHIFT THEIR BEHAVIOR…AND CREATE A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY.
IT’S A TREND, EXPERTS SAY COULD BECOME DANGEROUS IF BROUGHT TO WYOMING NATIONAL PARKS BECAUSE IT BLURS THE LINE BETWEEN WILDLIFE AND HUMAN INTERACTION.
ALTHOUGH WOLVES AREN’T KNOWN TO ATTACK HUMANS…EXPERTS SAY THE GROWING POPULARITY CAN MAKE ANIMALS TOO FAMILIAR WITH THE PUBLIC AND DECREASES THEIR NATURAL FEARS OF PEOPLE.
PARC OMEGA SAYS THEIR EXPERIENCE HAS SAFETY PRECAUTIONS IN PLACE FOR LODGERS. VISITORS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO FEED THE WOLVES OR OPEN THE WINDOWS TO INTERACT DIRECTLY WITH THE ANIMALS.
A TALL FENCE ALSO SEPARATES THE WOLVES HABITAT FROM THE LODGE’S YARD AND PATIO.
CURRENTLY THERE AREN’T ANY WILDLIFE VIEWING LODGES IN AMERICA’S NATIONAL PARKS.
MANY RELY ON TECHNOLOGY OR DESIGNATED VIEWING SPACES TO KEEP PEOPLE AND ANIMALS SEPARATE.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS I’M JACK AYLMER.
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