| The Rocky Mountains provide some of the best | | | | BEARS |
| wildlife watching opportunities in Canada, if not North | | | | Grizzly bears (or brown bears as they are sometimes |
| America. For many people spotting wildlife can be the | | | | known) are probably the most notorious of all animals |
| highlight of their trip. Whether it's a grazing elk, a | | | | in the Rockies. They are recognisable by the large |
| whistling marmot or a black bear playing with it's | | | | hump at their shoulders, although you probably won't |
| cubs, you are sure to stumble across many wild | | | | want to get close enough to notice it. |
| creatures. | | | | Black bears tend to be smaller in size and are much |
| HOARY MARMOT | | | | more common. To make things confusing they too |
| Also known as 'Whistlers' because of the shrill, | | | | are often brown in colour. Spotting either one in the |
| whistle-like noise they make. They are photo-friendly | | | | wild is a memorable experience. Keep your eyed |
| creatures who live high in the alpine. | | | | open and stay back! |
| Spot them: High mountain trails; often at the top of | | | | Spot them: Along the Banff-Radium Highway, |
| the Jasper Tramway on Whistlers mountain. | | | | especially between Dolly Varden Picnic area and |
| BIGHORN SHEEP | | | | Mount Harkin Viewpoint and along the Icefields |
| Appropriately named because their horns are huge, | | | | Parkway in infamous 'bear jams'. |
| they are often used as a symbol of the Rocky | | | | MOOSE & ELK |
| Mountains. They can be found throughout the | | | | Recognisable by their enormous antlers and bulbous |
| Canadian Rockies, in all the National Parks. | | | | nose, moose are usually quite timid animals. During |
| Spot them: On Yellowhead Highway east of of the | | | | mating season (October - November) they can |
| town of Jasper, the north end of Jasper Lake, and | | | | become more aggressive, and you may hear them |
| Lake Minnewanka Road. | | | | making a very loud, peculiar bellow as they try to |
| MOUNTAIN GOAT | | | | attract a mate. |
| This stocky goat has a shaggy white coat and a | | | | Elk are quite a common sight in the Rockies and they |
| rather cute 'beard'. They are probably about as close | | | | often seem fairly tame as they graze nonchalantly by |
| as it gets to an all-Canadian animal. You might need | | | | the roadside. It's worth giving them a wide berth |
| to look up to see them though, because they prefer | | | | though, especially during the mating season (fall) |
| the more mountainous areas, especially cliffs or steep | | | | because they have been known to attack. |
| slopes. | | | | Spot them: Along the roadside, especially Highway |
| Spot them: Along the Icefields Parkway between | | | | 93A between Banff and Jasper. |
| Banff and Jasper. | | | | |