Archive | When wild animals come to town

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In increasingly green urban environments, city dwellers must change their habits in order to better coexist with animals.

Radio- Canada

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Have you ever come across a wild animal in your yard or on the way to work? Reports from our archives tell us about some of these unusual situations, but also what to do to avoid chance cohabitation.

< p class="Text-sc-2357a233-1 imohSo">What you are going to see is not a precedent, but when it happens, it always grips.

A quote from the host Bernard Derome

On Téléjournal on October 11, 1994, host Bernard Derome comments on images of a moose splashing in a residential swimming pool.

The scene takes place in Breakeyville, near Lévis, Quebec.

Wildlife conservation officers had to be called to sedate the 400-pound young creature using a tranquilizer bullet. The moose was subsequently released in a region further from the city.

Did you know that marmots lurk near the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit on Notre-Dame Island in Montreal?

On this race track which has hosted the Canadian Grand Prix since 1978, marmots can pose a real risk. An F1 driver could lose control of his vehicle by hitting or trying to avoid a marmot on the track, in addition to the damage the animal could cause in the event of a collision.

This is what journalist Louis-Philippe Ouimet tells us in Téléjournal on May 5, 2015.

In 2007, driver Ralf Schumacher narrowly avoided a marmot in the fastest part of the circuit. The report also shows us images of another rather reckless beast which manages to dodge five cars while crossing a dangerous bend in the race track.

From now on, we are trying to limit unexpected encounters with this animal species. Two weeks before the international event, an employee of the La Faune company is responsible for sprinkling a repellent in the various holes located near the cement walls in order to keep marmots and other small rodents away.

In certain situations, it is possible to offer priority of passage to small animals. This is the case for this family of ducks presented by host Anne-Marie Dussault on Téléjournal on May 26, 2010.

On a highway in Halifax, Nova Scotia, police blocked traffic to allow a duck and her offspring to cross this perilous lane.

We see them safely escorting the small troop under the amused and tender gaze of the patient motorists.

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Other small animals, however, do not arouse this sympathy.

In the news bulletin Montréal ce soir of October 10, 1996, journalist Jacques Rivard collects testimonies from residents of the Montreal suburbs who welcome families of raccoons under their roof despite themselves.

Very intelligent, raccoons manage to create a nest in the roof or attic of houses by passing through different accesses whose existence the owners of these homes would not have suspected.

Journalist Jacques Rivard also talks about the greedy deer who destroy the cedar hedges in a neighborhood of Longueuil located near a wooded area.

In 1996, the deer population was causing headaches for the municipal administration, which had not yet found a solution to curb their rapid growth and invasion of residential neighborhoods.

Should we feed them, allow them for sport hunting, sterilize them or deport some of them? Each of these options generates heavy costs for the City.

Is cohabitation possible? This is the question that Jacques Rivard asks at the conclusion of his report.

What to do when a wild beast decides to settle in our yard or even in our attic?

A quote from host Catherine Mercier

The program Green Week of January 21, 2023 offers some avenues for solutions and reflection on this increasingly frequent cohabitation with animal species such as skunk, raccoon and squirrel.

In Quebec, there are still no clear rules to govern the management of this small wildlife. The ministry responsible for wildlife, however, transmits cases of residential invasions to associations of professional trappers, who seem best placed to manage these situations.

No Only an experienced trapper will know how to operate a cage safely and put the right bait in it to trap the animal, but he will also be able to make recommendations to prevent this situation from happening again.

We created a refuge inside our cities for these animals, explains animal ecology specialist Fanie Pelletier in this report by Claude Labbé and Michel Sylvestre.

The underside of the shed thus becomes a skunk condo, and the bird feeder, a buffet for squirrels. Not to mention the fruit trees, gardens and vegetable gardens that attract this little wildlife near our homes.

It is therefore up to city dwellers in urban areas to adopt good habits in order to make this cohabitation less disturbing.

We will try to properly block access below sheds, garages and terraces as well as roofs and attics, where small mammals can establish and breed.

Protecting gardens and vegetable plots as well as putting household waste and compost out of reach are other examples of measures that reduce food sources for these animals in residential neighborhoods.

Put yourself in the raccoon's place, illustrates specialist Fanie Pelletier. When you put a pen of chickens in your yard, all he will think about is finding a way to eat them. It’s in its nature!

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