I'd become complacent around wildlife working in parks — until a predator stole my supper
Chad Dupuis had been living and working in the northern Alberta forest for several years and had numerous wildlife encounters. His lost dinner was a reminder that the parks are the animals' home and we're encroaching on it.
It was a good reminder that inside the forest, we're the visitors to their home
Chad Dupuis · for CBC First Person(Submitted by Chad Dupuis )
After about a minute, a reddish-brown pine marten — a cat-sized member of the weasel family — came running out of the compartment door. He growled as he scrambled up a nearby tree and kept growling as I watched him, relieved that it had left my home.
He stayed up there, keeping his eyes on me as I went back inside the camper smiling to myself. This would be a great story to tell the crew the next day but tonight I was resigned to having dinner with Mr. Noodle.
WATCH | This marmot was looking for a free ride to town:
Driver finds a marmot under the hood of his car while on the road
8 months agoDuration 0:36Vincent Bouchard’s drive home from Jasper, Alta., was something to remember as the vehicle’s dashboard lit up with warnings. Turns out, a marmot was causing the problem.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chad Dupuis
Freelance contributor
Chad Dupuis started working for Alberta Parks in 2017 and has lived in the Slave Lake Area since 2022. He enjoys working outdoors with the beautiful landscapes and variety of wildlife.
CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices|About CBC I grew up in a trailer park — and I wouldn't change a thing
