Nestled within British Columbia’s Columbia Valley, on the traditional territory of the Ktunaxa and Secwépemc First Nations, Radium is known for its spectacular mountain views, relaxing hot springs and friendly community.
It’s also in a wildlife corridor, home to a wide variety of wildlife such as cougars, deer and bears. One species in particular has made its way into the heart of the community — the bighorn sheep.
Drive into Radium, and you’ll be welcomed by the “Bighorns”, a public art installation of two larger-than-life ram horns that speak to the importance of bighorn sheep to the community. The statues were inspired Radium’s resident bighorn sheep herd, which you can often find grazing down by the river or at the golf course.
Popular with both locals and visitors, bighorn sheep are also crucial to biodiversity in the region and are culturally and spiritually important to the Shuswap Band (Kenpesq’t) of Secwépemc First Nation.
A growing traffic threat
Unfortunately, Radium’s famous bighorn sheep are in danger. The herd faces a major obstacle between the nearby slopes where they spend their evenings and a tantalizing buffet of grass along Highway 93/95 and at the golf course.
Wildlife is often drawn to grasses along roads as they are often the first plants to grow along the highway in early spring. Highway maintenance keeps grasses short throughout the summer, making the grass sweeter, more tender, and a good place for dandelions to grow — an irresistible treat for bighorns, grizzly bears and deer. Bighorn sheep are also attracted to the road salt which collects on highways, drawing them closer to dangerous roads.
With highway traffic increasing every year, collisions between vehicles and bighorn sheep are a growing concern. Unfortunately, bighorn sheep are fast and can be hard to see on the road, creating challenging conditions for drivers.
According to B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation and Transit, an average of 10.5 sheep are killed by collisions each year, with some years seeing mortality rates as high as 20 sheep. The herd number has dropped about 25 percent between the early 2000s and 2017.
Aside from having a catastrophic impact on local sheep populations and ecosystem health in the area, these collisions can also be dangerous to people.
The Radium Wildlife Overpass
To help prevent collisions between bighorn sheep and vehicles, a new wildlife crossing is currently being built across a busy stretch of Highway 93/95 by Mile Hill, located near Radium. Like other overpasses, the Radium Wildlife Overpass will be planted with native vegetation. This vegetation will help it blend in with the natural landscape and make it more appealing for wildlife by providing cover.
Alongside the overpass structure, 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) of wildlife fencing will help direct bighorn sheep and other wildlife safely over the highway. When completed, it will belong to a system of more than 177 crossings, underpasses and fencing structures that help wildlife and drivers stay safe on highways throughout the Yellowstone to Yukon region today.
A community comes together for wildlife
The Radium Wildlife Overpass builds on the successes of the community, who have come together in a big way to protect their wild neighbours.
Measures that have been taken to reduce bighorn mortality include wildlife signage, flashing warning signs, bighorn sheep activity updates, and a temporary reduction in the highway’s speed limit. Radium resident Nicole Trigg also started a Facebook page to highlight the problem.
Since 2022, members of the Shuswap Band have taken on the role of Shuswap Wildlife Monitors, tracking bighorn sheep and letting drivers know to slow down when the sheep are nearby. The goal of the wildlife monitoring program is to increase the herd size from where it currently sits at around 145 to a more stable population of 250 individuals.
So far, their efforts have been working, with mortality rates decreasing since the program began. Together with the upcoming overpass, these actions will have a powerful impact — improving road safety for drivers and helping protect the famous Radium bighorn sheep for years to come.
Check out the short film “A Bridge for Bighorns” to learn more about the work the Shuswap Band is doing to protect bighorn sheep in Radium:
Read more about wildlife crossings
Why Banff’s wildlife crossings are saving grizzly bears, elk — and drivers
Banff National Park set the standard for a system of wildlife crossings over and under Highway 1, saving lives in the process.
B.C. government’s continued investment to improve wildlife connectivity and reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions is a reason to celebrate
New wildlife fencing is being built along Highway 3 in southeast British Columbia as part of the Reconnecting the Rockies project — helping to keep wildlife and drivers safe.
Making tracks: 17 animals show us wild ways to move
Which wildlife species have been caught on camera using crossings in the Yellowstone to Yukon region? You might be surprised!
