ISLE ROYALE NATIONAL PARK – We’ve all heard of bear-proofing our food at national parks, now Isle Royale National Park is asking you to wolf proof your food. New food storage rules are in effect at the Michigan park.
The goal is the same as bear-proofing—to prevent the animals from taking human food and then associating food with people. At Isle Royale, there are no bears. But there are wolves, and they have started getting into human food and garbage on the east end of the island in Lake Superior.
The new regulations to wolf-proof the park went into effect this year. Food storage lockers are being installed at every campground. Visitors are asked to properly store food, garbage, cooking items, utensils, and any fish you may have caught (fishing is allowed at Isle Royale).
Here are the guidelines:
↟ Keep your food and scented items in an approved, animal resistant canister or cooler. Thick, durable, and approved bags can also do the trick. If you have doubts, ask a park ranger.
↟ While overnight camping, store your container in a shelter, a food storage locker, or the cabin of your boat. If those are not options, hang your container 12 feet from the ground.
The park has also opened up free backpack storage areas in both Rock Harbor and Windigo/Ozaagaateng. The areas are fenced in and open to anyone who needs to keep their gear somewhere while exploring, hiking, kayaking, or dining at a restaurant.
The National Park Service points out that food storage measures for wolves have not been fully developed. So, the storage guidelines for bears are the best they have to work with.
NATIONAL PARK NEWS
