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.

Spot them: Along the Icefields Parkway between Banff and Jasper.

Bears; Grizzly bears (or brown bears as they are sometimes known) are probably the most notorious of all animals in the Rockies. They are recognisable by the large hump at their shoulders, although you probably won’t want to get close enough to notice it.

Black bears tend to be smaller in size and are much more common. To make things confusing they too are often brown in colour. Spotting either one in the wild is a memorable experience. Keep your eyed open and stay back!

Spot them: Along the Banff-Radium Highway, especially between Dolly Varden Picnic area and Mount Harkin Viewpoint and along the Icefields Parkway in infamous ‘bear jams’.

Moose & Elk; Recognisable by their enormous antlers and bulbous nose, moose are usually quite timid animals. During mating season (October – November) they can become more aggressive, and you may hear them making a very loud, peculiar bellow as they try to attract a mate.

Elk are quite a common sight in the Rockies and they often seem fairly tame as they graze nonchalantly by the roadside. It’s worth giving them a wide berth though, especially during the mating season (fall) because they have been known to attack.

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!

Habitat and Reserve Maintenance

There are all kinds of efforts that must be made to maintain the habitats in a wildlife reserve. Rock erosion needs be monitored and countered, and any alien plants and animals which could be a threat to the reserve must be found and removed from the reserve. Many reserves rely on perimeter fences to prevent animals from moving out of the reserve (and to prevent unwanted visitors!), and these need to be checked on and repaired if they are damaged. This kind of work may not be the most exciting side of wildlife conservation, but it is just as essential as any other element.

Rehab and Veterinary Care

Out in the wild, sick and injured animals soon become victims of predators, or simple starvation. However, on a wildlife reserve dealing with endangered species or low populations, the loss of even a single animal can be a terrible setback. Wounded, sick, and poisoned animals can be captured and brought back to a veterinary centre to be treated, rehabilitated, and then reintroduced back into the wild, and this is often an important part of any wildlife conservation program.

Reserve Patrol

Wildlife reserves are fragile areas that need to be protected from humans. Some times, people cause damage unintentionally – tourists feeding animals without knowing that it is forbidden, or attempting to take out rare plants as souvenirs. Some times, of course, it is a deliberate effort, poachers being the most well known human threat that conservationists have to battle against. Most wildlife reserves are diligently patrolled to ensure that tourists and the local population are treating the environment with the respect and care that it deserves.

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.

What we do as Wildlife Rehabbers is to try and help keep the balance between wildlife and man. Almost everything we get in is due to some type of human conflict. Either hit by a car, got by a dog, flew into a window. As we move farther and farther into “critter territory” we will have more and more conflicts with nature, your backyard is that raccoon’s back yard too. Education is our key. We just need to learn to co-exist, not take over but co-exist. If everything in nature has its place and has learned to co-exist except for us, well why? Why do we want to change the behavior of everything in order to get along with it? As Wildlife Rehabilitators we have to be sensitive to that animal or birds needs. This is why if you find wildlife in trouble call your local licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator. They have been trained to help. We can all pitch in with the preservation of our own backyards. And if we are really really lucky, we get to see that critter go back into the wild and live as it was intended. That’s a job well done! And it takes all of us.