Article content

Banff National Park wardens weren’t happy campers last year.

New numbers show officers there handed out 471 illegal camping violations and 105 citations for messy campsites in 2016 — more than double what they saw in 2015.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or 'Pushing the bush': Banff wardens root out record number of illegal campers Back to video

Supervisor Terry Willis said it’s a new high-water mark for a department that began operating in 2009.

Willis said it’s due in large part to increased vigilance for offenders in an effort to limit the habituation of the troublesome Bow Valley wolf pack. Food that is improperly stored attracts wildlife, which can result in a series of problems.

Photo by Amar Athwal / Calgary Herald archives

“We spent a lot of extra time and efforts; we used a dog quite a bit, which is very effective in finding those campers. As well, we had an extra staff member last year and we’ll have that extra staff member again this year, so there’s more of us out there,” he said.

“Also, more people are aware of this, so we’re getting more people reporting it and more people know how to get a hold of Banff Dispatch or to get a hold of wardens . . . and we get there sooner, so there’s more of a chance of us finding the illegal campers, or the people with food left out.”