There is now one more tool in the fight to protect wildlife here in Alberta, as Report a Poacher has added another way to make reports.

With an average of 11,000 calls last year, the Report a Poacher phone line can get busy.

You can now go to their website to make detailed written reports online, and you can also include pictures, audio, or video.

Spokesman for Alberta Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Branch Brendan Cox says people call the Report a Poacher line for more than just reports of illegal hunting.

“Public land violations, such as somebody taking an OHV (off-highway vehicle) through a naturally occurring water body, and driving up and down that water body creating damage to the bed and shore, significant amounts of litter or garbage on public land, and also the Report a Poacher program is for reports of dangerous wildlife.”

Cox hopes this new option will make people more willing to report suspicious activity.

“Some people might find it easier to talk to somebody, but some people are more comfortable writing something down, and now people have that option. This is a very safe and secure way for people to help protect and conserve Alberta’s native species and our habitats.”

Of those 11,000 calls a year, Cox says about 2500 of them related to suspected illegal activities.