Winter cold snaps like the one Saskatchewan endured to start 2022 can be challenging. But what about the local wildlife?

Leanne Heisler, a regional wildlife biologist with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment, said animals are normally able to adapt to extreme weather events.

"Wildlife are pretty resilient," said Heisler. "During those cold snaps, they might move into areas with more cover and food, even congregating in yards or in communities or seed-storage areas. That usually only lasts through those severe cold snaps."

Heisler pointed out that while smaller critters may try to sneak into a warmer, heated area during the deep cold, larger fauna won't. Animals like deer and moose stick to woody cover, eating and heating up the way they always do.

Even the smaller pronghorn isn't one to be overly concerned about.

"This species has been around for a really long time, so they've adapted behaviourally, and they also have some physiological adaptations. They put on a little bit of weight just to get them through those cold snaps. If they can't get out and move around and find food, then they rely on those fat reserves to get them through."

Kind-hearted folks may be tempted to leave out some feed for animals during the extreme cold. But a helping hand isn't always a good thing. These animals can become overly dependent on charity, and end up worse at foraging for their own food.

"If folks want to help wildlife through these severe winters, I think the best thing to do would be to help conserve the habitat that they rely on," Heisler insisted. "The more native prairie you have around, the more shrubby stuff, the more habitat that's deferred for wildlife, the less likely they are to end up in yards and things."

Residents looking to take a more active role in helping local wildlife can help monitor populations through the winter. There is a cooperative wildlife-management survey app that people can use to report when they've seen big game species in the wild out traveling around.

To learn more about the survey app, you can find it here.