The Rocky Mountains provide some of the best wildlife watching opportunities in Canada, if not North America. For many people spotting wildlife can be the highlight of their trip. Whether it’s a grazing elk, a whistling marmot or a black bear playing with it’s cubs, you are sure to stumble across many wild creatures.

Hoary Marmot; Also known as ‘Whistlers’ because of the shrill, whistle-like noise they make. They are photo-friendly creatures who live high in the alpine.

Spot them: High mountain trails; often at the top of the Jasper Tramway on Whistlers mountain.

Bighorn Sheep; Appropriately named because their horns are huge, they are often used as a symbol of the Rocky Mountains. They can be found throughout the Canadian Rockies, in all the National Parks.

Spot them: On Yellowhead Highway east of of the town of Jasper, the north end of Jasper Lake, and Lake Minnewanka Road.

Mountain Goat; This stocky goat has a shaggy white coat and a rather cute ‘beard’. They are probably about as close as it gets to an all-Canadian animal. You might need to look up to see them though, because they prefer the more mountainous areas, especially cliffs or steep slopes.

Wildlife conservation is a delicate and complicated process, with dedicated teams trying to rebuild complex ecosystems, manage large wildlife populations, and protect these areas from harm. Many of the world’s most magnificent areas of natural beauty are under threat from humans, and conservationists work hard to preserve these places for future generations, and to restore damaged areas back to their former glory.

There’s been an increase in recent years in volunteer wildlife conservation, where people on gap years or career breaks volunteer to help work as conservationists for weeks, months, or even a whole year. Conservation practices vary from country to country and from habitat to habitat, but these are a few of the things you are could get involved in as a volunteer conservationist…

Tracking and Monitoring

Animal monitoring is one of the most important elements of wildlife conservation. Whether it is by electronic tracking or by human observation, animal numbers must be monitored so that their populations can be controlled. If the numbers of a particular species grow too large they could threaten other animals, and if they fall too low steps need to be taken to protect them. Following the movement and migration of animals also provides the chance to research their behaviour. Of course, for volunteers, the chance to observe animals like lions and elephants in their natural habitat can be an unforgettable experience!

Most Wildlife Rehabilitation Centers are not large like the ones you see on the nature programs on T.V.. Most of us run out of our homes and backyards. We do it without any Federal or State funding. We do it out of love for nature. We are some of the Division of Wildlife’s biggest volunteers; we do thousands of hours a year. Funding our centers is our responsibility. Our education is our responsibility also. In most states you have to be licensed by the state and sometimes also the Federal Government. This is for the critter’s well being, because then he goes to someone trained to handle that species.

It takes long hours and lots of money (that you don’t have). In one day you will be shown something amazing, and then come face to face with death. The best paycheck ever is successfully releasing that critter back into the wild. Which is good, for there is no glory in cleaning up piles and piles of manure. It is strictly for the love of the animals. And love of all animals, not just the cute and popular ones. Hey, coyotes need love too! They are all part of our eco system. You shoot all the coyotes, and then you have population problems with species that they eat, like the cottontails or gophers. It is the delicate balance of nature.