GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, AZ — Grand Canyon National Park officials are utilizing a new method to help keep wildlife and visitors separated: a dog.
Earlier this month, “Blue”, a trained canine, joined the park’s wildlife management team in an effort to keep human-wildlife interactions and conflicts to a minimum.
Officials say some of the Grand Canyon’s wildlife, including elk and bighorn sheep, have gotten increasingly comfortable around people and in developed areas of the park. That can lead to more interactions between wildlife and people, which can sometimes lead to "aggressive wildlife encounters, roadway blockages and the need for lethal wildlife management actions."
Blue will use her “strong herding instincts, trainability, and calm temperament” to encourage the wildlife to avoid developed areas. She will use barking and herding pressure to move the wildlife away from certain areas, officials say. Those areas will include El Tovar Complex, Grand Canyon Visitor Center, Maswik Lodge, Mather Campground services area, and Grand Canyon School.
“While working, she is always on a leash in direct control of her handler and never makes physical contact with animals,” officials say.
Blue's addition to the team is part of a "three-year wildlife management initiative" that "offers an alternative focused on long-term behavioral change rather than short-term displacement." Officials say they hope it will encourage more natural behavior in less human-dominated areas.
National Park officials say Glacier National Park saw success through a similar shepherding program.
