Grand Canyon National Park Launches Conservation K-9 Pilot Project to Reduce Human-Wildlife Conflicts

Contact: Grand Canyon Office of Communications

Grand Canyon National Park is welcoming a new, four-legged member to the park's wildlife management team. "Blue," a trained Conservation K-9, will work alongside park wildlife staff to help reduce human-wildlife conflicts in busy areas on the South Rim.

The Conservation K-9 Pilot Project, now in its first year of a 3-year pilot, uses dogs to encourage animals who are habituated to humans, such as Grand Canyon's elk and bighorn sheep, to avoid developed areas where interactions with visitors can be unsafe to both visitors and wildlife.

"Grand Canyon's elk and bighorn sheep have become increasingly comfortable in developed areas over the last two decades," said Brady Dunne, wildlife biologist and project lead for the pilot program. "This project gives us a humane, science-based tool to help encourage more natural wildlife behavior while improving visitor safety."

Blue is a trained and certified Catahoula Leopard Hound selected for her strong herding instincts, trainability and calm temperament. Blue uses barking and herding pressure to move wildlife away from designated areas of the park. While working, she is always on a leash in direct control of her handler and never makes physical contact with animals. Blue officially began field operations on May 18.

Blue will primarily focus her work around the busiest areas in Grand Canyon Village where wildlife is most likely to encounter visitors: the El Tovar Complex, Grand Canyon Visitor Center, Maswik Lodge, Mather Campground services area and Grand Canyon School.

Most of Blue's work will occur during calving season in spring and rut season in late summer and early fall. Foot or vehicle traffic may be stopped temporarily during Conservation K-9 operations to ensure safety for staff, visitors, and wildlife.

The pilot project builds on more than 15 years of wildlife behavior monitoring and human-wildlife interaction data collected by the park. The long-term goal of the project is to encourage elk and bighorn sheep to spend less time in human-dominated areas and return to more natural habitat for grazing, bedding and calving. Park managers hope the effort will reduce aggressive wildlife encounters, roadway blockages and the need for lethal wildlife management actions.

Grand Canyon National Park encourages visitors to give wildlife plenty of space and never attempt to haze or approach animals. The Conservation K-9 Pilot Project is funded primarily through support from Grand Canyon Conservancy, the park's official nonprofit partner.

For additional information on Blue and the Conservation K-9 Pilot project, visit: www.nps.gov/articles/000/conservation-k9-blue.htm.

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