'They need to be respected': Parks Canada reminds visitors not to feed animals - Action News
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PEI

'They need to be respected': Parks Canada reminds visitors not to feed animals

Reports of an aggressive fox in the Robinson's Island area of P.E.I. National Park prompted staff to put up signs to warn people about the animal, and remind visitors not to feed the animals.

Reports of an aggressive fox prompted the reminder

Paul Giroux, ecologist for Parks Canada, said that feeding the animals does more harm than good, and often puts animals into dangerous situations. (Cathleen MacCormack)

Reports of an aggressive fox in the Robinson's Island area of P.E.I. National Park prompted staff to put up signsto warn people about the animal, and remind visitors not to feed the animals.

Paul Giroux, an ecologist with Parks Canada, said staff got word of a fox acting strangely late last week and have been monitoring the animal ever since.

A Parks Canada ecologist said the fox in question was probably young as there is a nearby den. (Submitted by Paul Gauthier)

The parkhad signs up on Wednesday warning visitors of the fox, and telling them it is against the rules to feed animals in the park.

"It's nothing new for people to see foxes around but this one was just acting a little bit strange," said Giroux.

"We thought we'd just be proactive and avoid any kind of aggressive behaviour that could be escalating."

'They're unpredictable'

Giroux said there isn't a danger to visitors, but they shouldn't be feeding any animals while at the park.

"People aren't really doing foxes any favours by giving them a free hand out in this case," he said.

Reports of an aggressive fox had Parks Canada staff put up signs to remind the public not to feed animals. (Sally Pitt/CBC News)

"It's a danger for the fox because they could get hit by cars, and they could suffer mortalities themselves."

Girouxsaid that there haven't been anybitesto date, which issomething staff are always working to avoid.

But he added that the foxes are"wild animals and they're unpredictable."

'Keep their distance'

Giroux said he hopes the signs and patrolling enforcement officers and staff will get visitors to think twice before feeding any animals.

"The main thing for us is that it's a behaviour problem for people, not so much foxes," he said.

"If they can just admire wildlife from afar, take photographs but not interact.They're wild animals, they need to be respected and people need to keep their distance."

With files from Sarah MacMillan