Fraser Valley Wildlife
The Fraser River
The Fraser River originates in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada. The length of the river is almost one and a half thousand kilometers. Fraser flows into the Pacific Ocean and, in its delta, is one of the most beautiful cities in the world – Vancouver. The location near the ocean provides a mild climate, generally unusual for Canada.
Fraser is known among fishers as a place to catch huge sturgeon. In July 2012, Englishman Michael Snell caught a record sturgeon for the Fraser River, 3 meters 76 centimeters long and weighing more than half a ton! Also, this area is famous for Pacific salmon and steelhead.
Bald Eagles
Bald eagles are the national symbol of the United States and are simply magnificent birds. They are usually found in small quantities, so even seeing one of them is very rare. Now imagine a picture of a thousand of them sitting on a short stretch of land along the river. This is what happens when they gather in the Fraser Valley. It is the largest concentration of bald eagles in the world.
And the explanation for this phenomenon is very simple: every year in November, a large number of salmon swim from the Pacific Ocean to the rivers of British Columbia for spawning (they lay eggs there and die). And bald eagles love to eat salmon, so they look for places of its concentration, which, for example, becomes the Fraser River Valley in November. In turn, people love to observe this type of eagles, and therefore come here to look at them and take photographs.
As soon as the official "festival" of bald eagles begins in the Fraser Valley, various photo contests start here, guest lecturers perform, guides conduct walking and boat tours, and themed exhibitions open.
Fraser Valley Wildlife
Fraser Valley is also known for the large number of bears, cougars and coyotes in this area. The Fraser Valley Regional District has taken on a regional role in the prevention of wildlife conflicts, including those with bears, cougars and coyotes, and coordinates for the province for the provincial WildSafeBC (formerly Bear Aware) program every summer. To reduce flooding caused by beaver dams, the District has installed flow devices in identified trouble spots throughout the community, eliminating the need for trapping beavers. Private landowners may also make use of this effective, humane and relatively inexpensive technology.