As the COVID-19 pandemic limits the amount of activities Albertans can engage in – and has resulted in huge job losses across the country – the streets of many cities and towns have been far less densely populated by humans and vehicles. “We’ve encroached on their habitats so we have pushed them out of their environments,” said Holly Lillie, executive director with the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC).
With fewer people out and about, she adds, seeing more animals is a normal occurrence. “It is natural that they would be coming in to investigate that more,” she said.
From Jan. 1 to April 11, Lillie says AIWC saw 81 animals come in for care. During the same time in 2019, only 39 animals were brought to the centre.