They are exciting to observe in their natural habitats as they, swim around in the waters, swing from tree to tree or scurry away along the leafy forest floor or forage in fruitful brushes. In recent times, they have found themselves in conflict with human expansion as residential and commercial settlements expand, essentially making their habitats smaller. To compound the problem, their existence is also threatened by other factors such as pollution and climate change. They are the wildlife species of Canada.

Shocking Figures

The current figures indicate that during 1970-2014 about half of the land and water based wildlife (about 451 species) experienced a population decline of about 83%. This decline has continued in the last decade in spite of the Species at Risk Act which was designed and enacted to mitigate the loss of wildlife population.

More urban wildlife animals are becoming adaptable to changes in habitat.

Additionally, because of the interdependency of Mother Nature’s system, what impacts one species, eventually extends to impact other species (the prey and predators along with the parasites to name a few). This means that for those species that are on the decline, the real effect on the entire food chain and ecosystem will only be realized over time.

The Urban/Rural Dichotomy

Wildlife species that have adapted to the urban lifestyle are thriving. In fact, these days they are no longer referred to as wildlife but rather as urbanized animals. One example is the elks often spotted walking calmly through urban centers such as Jasper and Banff. Scientists who study animal behaviour have noted that these urban elks behave quite differently from the ones who live in a rural setting. Perhaps it is this difference that has been the key to their survival.

Unlike their urban counterparts, Canada’s rural wildlife animals are struggling to survive.  They are often blindsided by the spread of human presence and the habitat loss, pollution and climatic changes that follow. When compared to their urban counterparts, rural wildlife creatures are more likely to suffer the negative consequences of human contact.

Aggressive Animal Control Methods Exacerbating the Problem

Harsh methods of wildlife animal removal to address wildlife presence in human territory only makes the problems worse. These methods often lead to the elimination of animals that could have been safely removed and relocated. Often too, the young are eliminated in the process which negatively impacts the replenishing efforts.

Raccoons have long been one of the most adaptable wildlife animals.

How Can We Rescue Canada’s Animal Population From Imminent Extinction?

Even though Canada is doing well with wildlife conservation when compared with the rest of the world, it is undeniable that we still need to work diligently at reducing the negative impact that people have on wildlife. Ultimately what people do when human and wildlife clashes occur, has a significant impact on the future of Mother Nature’s gifts to all of us.

We can start to make our contribution to the renewal process by reducing our carbon footprint and restoring habitats that have been needlessly destroyed.

Chief among the solutions is the use of safe strategies to control and remove wild animals from domestic environments. Humane wildlife animal removal services such as the ones provided by Skedaddle offer safer alternatives that result in wildlife free residential spaces without damaging an already fragile ecosystem.

Skedaddles humane removal methods are a testament to our commitment to preserving wildlife. For nearly 30 years, our expertly trained technicians have worked with countless homeowners to ensure their homes remain pest free. While working to preserve the populations of wildlife which are being threatened.

Jump to: Canada’s Wildlife Species Experiencing a Decline – Part 2