560 



Illustrated Canadian Forestry Magazine, December, igso 



animals have destroyed their haunts and 

 exposed them to their enemies, and to 

 qtiote a report from onr Commission 

 of Conservation, "Draining swampy 

 areas has destroyed the homes of the 

 muskrat, the mink, the otter and the 

 beaver. The fisher and marten never 

 seem to exist long near man's habita- 

 tion. Even the fox, which appears to 

 increase near settlements, will decrease 

 if the forests are wholly removed or 

 burned." 



Hozv Forests Affect Fur. 



As showing the efifect of a forest en- 

 vironment on fur, timber or forest 

 wolves have finer fur and of darker 

 colour than those living on exposed 

 prairies. 



The herd of buffalo maintained at Elk 

 Island Park, near Lamont, Alberta, 

 though from the same stock as those at 

 Wain w right in the same province, have 

 noticeably become darker in colour 

 since their sojourn in Elk Island Park, 

 this latter being largely a forested area, 

 whereas Buffalo Park is in the prairie 

 district. 



If we are to preserve our fur-bearers 

 we must preserve our forests, and in 

 order to safeguard the future of fur- 



farming it is imperative that more fur- 

 bearers' sanctuaries be established in 

 forested areas before it is too late. 



Our Need of Sanctuaries. 



Jn such sanctuaries, fur-bearers, game 

 animals, and wild life generally would, 

 under proper supervision, increase and 

 multiply unmolested, with the increase 

 overfiowing the surrounding country to 

 the profit and recreation of all the peo- 

 ple. While from time to time permits 

 could be issued to capture alive fur- 

 bearers in suck sanctuaries for needful 

 infusion of new blood in fur-farms, the 

 stock in which for lack of such infusion 

 would soon deteriorate. 



Generally speaking, only a small per- 

 centage of all our forested lands are 

 owned by private individuals. In the 

 East, the forests are under the control 

 of the respective Provinces, while in the 

 Prairie West and part of British Col- 

 umbia the forested areas are controlled 

 by the Dominion Government. Our na- 

 tional parks, whose value to the country 

 as game sanctuaries cannot be over-esti- 

 mated, are situated in the West, but a 

 large portion of the East is covered with 

 vast stretches of forest and swamp 

 lands covered with cedar, portions of 



In the game sanctuary oi Rocky Mountains Park, Alberta. 



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