Chad Dupuis, a resident of Slave Lake, Alberta, has been employed by Alberta Parks since 2017. He shared his experience of working in the forest and how it led him to overlook the presence of wildlife in their natural habitat.
On a scorching Sunday at Carson Pegasus Provincial Park, where he served as the maintenance supervisor for four years, Chad and his team had been busy preparing over 120 camping sites for incoming visitors. Despite the demanding tasks of managing park maintenance like cleaning up litter, clearing firepits, removing ropes from trees, and tidying up after campers, Chad was in high spirits as the day drew to a close.
As Chad made his way back to his Winnebago after a long day’s work under the warm sun, he was looking forward to grilling a steak for dinner. However, upon entering his camper, he discovered that the meat he had set out was missing. Perplexed, his mind initially jumped to the young black bear that had recently wandered near his site. But the absence of a larger mess ruled out the bear as the culprit.
After a brief search for clues inside his camper, Chad noticed a softball-sized hole in the window screen near the couch. Realizing that a small animal had likely chewed through the screen and taken his dinner, he felt a mix of disappointment and amusement, akin to a childhood memory of a dog ruining a new toy.
Having spent years immersed in the forest environment and encountering various wildlife, Chad’s stolen meal served as a poignant reminder that the forest belongs to the animals first and foremost. The incident underscored the importance of remaining vigilant and respectful towards wildlife, as they are unpredictable and can catch you off guard when taken for granted.
While pondering the evening’s unexpected turn of events, a low growl from beneath the bed startled Chad. Promptly stepping outside and propping open the camper’s side door, he awaited the intruder’s exit. Soon, a reddish-brown pine marten, a weasel-like creature of cat size, emerged and scurried up a nearby tree, growling as it retreated.
Relieved that the pine marten had vacated his living space, Chad chuckled to himself, acknowledging that the incident would make for an amusing anecdote to share with his colleagues. As he settled for a meal of instant noodles that night, the encounter with the forest’s inhabitants left a lasting impression on him, reinforcing the need to respect the wild and embrace the unexpected moments it brings.