GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK — Summer in Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) brings sunshine, wildflowers and increased traffic. Motorists enjoying the scenery are encouraged to slow down as they drive through the Park.
GNTP’s science and resource management staff shared wildlife-vehicle collision statistics with Buckrail on Tuesday.
July has already seen at least 17 wildlife-vehicle collisions, with involved animals including seven deer, two porcupine, two pronghorn, two owls, a fox, an elk and a raven.
Since January, there have been a minimum of 53 wildlife-vehicle collisions with 54 involved animals, including 16 deer, four elk, four ruffed grouse, three pronghorn, three owls, three porcupine, three red squirrels, two bison, two unita ground squirrels, a mallard, a mink, a racoon, a raven, a sage grouse, a skunk, a red fox and a black bear.
GTNP estimates that the average number of wildlife-vehicle collisions in the park each year from 2012 to 2022 was 114, with the highest being 200 incidents in 2016 and the lowest being 101 incidents in 2013.
The Park’s Facebook page issued a PSA on Tuesday reminding visitors, “If you’d like to view wildlife, pull into a turnout or pull over with all four tires off the road to avoid blocking traffic.”
