A motorbike rider was seriously injured and an elk was killed in an accident on the Sea to Sky Highway on April 11.
The motorcyclist hit the Roosevelt elk in the southbound lane of Highway 99 at Commercial Way.
When police arrived the motorcyclist was off to the side of the highway, according to Staff Sgt. Jolaine Percival, and the deceased elk was a short distance away on the shoulder of the highway.
The driver sustained injured ribs, fingers and wrists, but was conscious and receiving medical assistance when police arrived.
The driver was transported by air ambulance to Vancouver General Hospital with non-life threatening injuries, Percival said.
The air ambulance landed first at Squamish Terminals, as is standard procedure in such a case, according to terminal president Kim Stegeman-Lowe.
“We have a helipad onsite as a public service… Standard procedure was followed whereby our on call management are contacted to request use of our helipad,” she told The Chief.
Squamish conservation officer Sgt. Simon Gravel said the elk is the second struck on the highway this year.
Gravel said the local herd of elk that frequent the area is larger this year and so more elk are attempting to cross the highway.
“The heavy snow up the Squamish Valley brought the elk into town, so we had a larger amount of elk this winter in Squamish than in years before.”
The strip of highway through Squamish has been popular for not only elk, but for bobcats, coyotes and bears, Gravel noted.
Signs have been installed to warn the public of possible wildlife, Gravel noted, and it is important drivers respect the speed limit and really slow down when you see the signs or actual wildlife around the highway.
If wildlife is spotted in town, including next to the highway, call the RAPP line at 1-877-952-7277 (RAPP) or #7277 on the TELUS Mobility network and conservation officers will arrive to try and redirect the animals away from danger, Gavel said.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Transportation, the ministry responsible for Highway 99, told The Chief she was unable to say whether or not a wildlife detection system or a wildlife crossing were possibilities for this area, due to the pending provincial election on May 9.
