The Bow Valley Parkway is a scenic 48-kilometre highway that meanders through a swath of Banff National Park in Alberta. This secondary route, which parallels the TransCanada Highway between the towns of Banff and the Lake Louise, also cuts through territory that is normally home to bears, cougars and wolves. Little wonder it is also a draw for tourists and shutterbugs. But it has also created a deathtrap for the critters that roam there.
That’s why Parks Canada introduced a mandatory travel restriction this year banning overnight travel – by vehicle, bicycle or foot – on a 17 km stretch of the road March 1-June 25 in order to allow animals to be, well, animals. The road is now reopened and with it, Parks posted a gorgeous 3 minute 22 second video on YouTube titled “Wild Images – Wolves & Bears: Time & Space” of scenes captured not far from the roadway.
“In 2013, in anticipation of the closure, we placed 2 video cameras within a particularly rich area of the parkway to be able to see just what goes on when animals have space. The results are heartwarming,” Banff National Park noted.
Photos Banff National Park/YouTube
