Snowmobile tracks spotted in Okanagan and Peace areas that are off limits

Tracks spotted in no-go zone

Photo: Contributed

Aerial patrols in the Peace and Okanagan regions spotted the tracks in zones off-limits to snowmobiles to safeguard the animals.

Conservation officers on aerial patrols in the Peace and Okanagan regions spotted snowmobile tracks in areas that are off-limits to protect mountain caribou, the B.C. Conservation Officer Service said in an online post.

"While no snowmobiles were actively seen in a closed area, officers noted snowmobile tracks in several of these locations," the BC Conservation Officer Service said in a statement online.

"On one flight, officers observed approximately 50 caribou throughout the patrol."

The exact location of the tracks was not disclosed.

Recreational snowmobiling in restricted areas can displace mountain caribou and further threaten an endangered population.

About 2,500 mountain caribou live in B.C., where they are on the provincial Blue List, according to a provincial government brochure. That designation means they are considered vulnerable or sensitive and require special management to ensure their survival.

The province says no one knows how many mountain caribou historically lived in B.C., but it is clear the animals have disappeared from some areas. One estimate suggests about 60 per cent of their historic range in British Columbia and the United States no longer supports Mountain Caribou.

Snowmobilers are asked to be aware of where they're allowed to go. Maps are available online.

Photo: BC Conservation

Aerial patrols in the Peace and Okanagan regions spotted the tracks in zones off-limits to snowmobiles to safeguard the animals.