Backcountry skiing and extreme winter sports are stressing out native animals in the Alps, European scientists say.
In a study of European black grouse, the researchers first put captive birds under stress to measure the levels of stress hormone corticosterone that emerged in their feces.
The scientists then took that knowledge and used it to measure the stress hormone levels in animals in the south-western Swiss Alps.
What they found is native birds in outdoor recreation areas are suffering higher stress levels than birds in undisturbed habitats.
“Disturbance by snow sport free-riders appears to elevate stress, which potentially represents a new serious threat for wildlife,” the researchers note in The Royal Society's Journal B.
Corticosterone is used by many species to regulate stress, metabolism and immune reactions.
The ability of animals to cope with that stress is yet to be ascertained, they said, but the research team said Alpine wildlife may need protective zones to keep them away from increasing human activities.
