Please enjoy the mountains with caution. Always carry bear spray if biking or hiking in the outdoors and respect posted notices of any wildlife in known areas! If you see a bear, or any wildlife from your car, don't get out (for your safety and theirs).

If you have questions before heading out contact the Banff Information Centre for the latest updates and safety recommendations. Phone (403) 762-1550 or drop by at 224 Banff Avenue between 8 am and 8 pm daily.

- about the size of a small gopher

- likes to stay in rock slides at higher elevations found at 5,800-7,700 feet, normally bleak and inhospitable surroundings

- likes the sun

- shy, alert, difficult to approach

- will dry cut grass on rocks in the sun to make 'hay' for their Winter home under the rocks

- active at night to avoid predators

- found at about 7,200 feet, at or above the treeline

- likes rock slides

- are cautious, difficult to approach

- hibernates from September to April/May

- part of the rodent family

- can be found in grassland, treeless flats, rocky slopes, forest glades and above the treeline 3,600-8,000 feet

- are large in numbers

- holes are easy to spot

- can be quite bold

- hibernate early September to April/May

- largest of the North American rodents

- adults can weigh from 35-45 pounds, older ones can reach 60-70 pounds

- likes forests, foothills, eastern rockies slope

- excellent engineering skills in construction of dams and lodges

- are a great service to water and flood control

- they preserve habitats for many species including muskrat, mink otter and numerous water fowl

- Summer food includes eating bark, stream side plants and aquatic vegetation

- Winter food includes eating willows, branches and upper trunks of deciduous trees piled beside their lodge for easy under water access when they are iced over

- work both day and night, mostly at night to help avoid predators

- have an average weight of 22-25 pounds

- live in mixedwood forests at and above the treeline

- found at 2,500-9,000 feet

- are abundant and can be bold

- eat tree bark, green plants, rose hips

- lives in caves, rock outcrops, tree root hollows

- they don't hibernate and move about freely in cold weather

- can appear lethargic and lazy

- will stay long periods in small areas

- moves around slowly protected by an outer layer of quills

- weighs from 22-26 pounds travels above the treeline, but is observed mostly at lower elevations

- can be quite common in numbers

- appear leisurely

- are shrewd, clever

- uses burrows for retreat and seclusion in prairies hillsides and woods

- will chase large game in packs or similarly birds, rodents, grasshoppers, reptiles and berries

- can weigh from 250-300 pounds

- can reach up to 500 pounds

- can climb trees and swim great lengths

- have territories

- Summer food includes roots, berries, vegetables, nuts, flesh, snakes, fish, insects

- are large and muscular

- hibernates in the Winter months

Please enjoy the mountains with caution. Always carry bear spray if biking or hiking in the outdoors and respect posted notices of any wildlife in known areas! If you see a bear, or any wildlife from your car, don't get out (for your safety and theirs).

If you have questions before heading out contact the Banff Information Centre for the latest updates and safety recommendations. Phone (403) 762-1550 or drop by at 224 Banff Avenue between 8 am and 8 pm daily.

- males can weigh 500-600 pounds, females 400-500 pounds

- some may reach as much as 750-900 pounds

- are stocky, rugged, strong

- have a distinct hump at the shoulders, a massive head

- are various shades of brown, goldish color

- likes very mountainous country as well as above the treeline

- in the Summer are wilder than Black bears

- more suspicious

- travel during both day and night

- enjoy similar food as Black bears

- hibernates from December to February or March

- weighs 150-160 grams

- lives in the woods, pastures, grasslands, ravines

- have lots of energy

- ounce for ounce one of the greatest fighters in the wild

- likes to feed on mice, but also birds, chipmunks, ground squirrels, gophers and rats

- can easily climb trees

- is the smallest member of the weasel tribe

- weighs between 18-22 pounds

- similar habitat as the mink and beaver: creeks, rivers, ponds and lakes

- very uncommon

- very versatile on both land and water

- is equally at home catching fish or birds and rodents

- travel equally as well in Summer and Winter

- are playful

- likes to slide on their bellies on the banks of streams

- lives in stream or lake banks

- has unmistakable cat-like features, large proportions

- largest of the North American cougars

- females are about one foot shorter than the males

- average weight of males is 160 pounds, females 120 pounds, may exceed 200 pounds

- prefers forests and protective evergreen cover

- very alert and suspicious

- hard to spot

- well alerted to the presence of others while remaining undetected

- can travel great distances within large territories, 40-50 miles

- females with cubs often stay close to home

- likes to live in caves or nests

- hunt and feed on Elk, deer, antelope, mountain sheep as well as birds and rodents

- mature cougars have very few if any natural enemies

- second largest in size of the deer family, the moose is the largest

- is an ungulate: has hooves

- males have heavy large antlers which they shed annually

- females have no antlers

- have very thick bodies, long legs, a mane on the neck,short tail

- Males (Bull) can weigh 700-1,000 pounds

- Females (Cows) can weigh 500-600 pounds

- found at 2,500-8,000 feet

- Bull 'Bugles' in October with harem of adult females during the mating season

- Bulls 'rout' with each other for dominance within the herd

adult males can weigh 200-250 pounds

- range is 700-7,000 feet

- during Summer the adult males and females are segregated

- the Summer range is to the treeline and above

- during Winter they come down to lower forested areas like the Male elk

- they lose their antlers in the Fall after mating season and sprout them again in late Spring

- the antlers start as velvet, then harden at full size in late Summer

- can jump great heights

- are larger than the white tailed deer

- likes mixedwood forest to the treeline, 6,000-7,000 feet

- comes lower down in the Winter

- mature males can reach 150-300 pounds

- usually occur in small numbers

- have a conspicuous white bushy tail

- antlers are simple and undivided

- smaller than mule deer

- are wary and prefer cover

- can jump very high

- largest and most rugged of the deer family

- appears ungainly and grotesque

- Males have antlers, females don't

- have large ears, hanging skin at the throat called the 'bell'

- very large head and shoulder hump, short tail, long legs

- average weight for males is 950-1,000 pounds

- can reach up to 1,400 pounds

- females are 10-15 % smaller

- prefer mixedwood forest close to lakes, streams and bogs, secluded wilderness areas

- found at 700-7,000 feet

- abundance varies by territory

- feeds on aquatic plants and growth/vegetation

- will stand deep in the water ducking its head searching for food and feeding

- also feeds on twigs/foliage in the Winter, shrubs and trees

- has a hoarse bellow during mating season

- deep throated and memorable

- mates in the Fall

- are compact and sturdy

- have spiral horns, short tails, pointed ears

- Males (Rams) can weigh 200-340 pounds

- Females (Ewes) are 10-15 % smaller

- in Summer they prefer sub alpine grassy slopes/alpine meadows, passes and ridges above the treeline

- in Winter they come down to lower elevations found at 4,000-9,000 feet

- restricted to certain mountain slopes due to food/climate needs

- superb climbers

- have sponge centred hooves with hard rims that provide extremely firm grip on rocks

- can easily climb and scale steep rocky faces that are extremely difficult too man

- eats grass and plants

- mature Rams fight for the Females, crashing head-on with their massive horns until one declines

- combat may result in participants appearing temporaily 'groggy' before the challenge continues

- they travel in flocks and are shy and elusive

- type of antelope

- has high shoulders and neck and rock gripping hooves

- has black horns and a short tail

- Males can weigh 175-300 pounds, females are a bit smaller

- live above the treeline in cliifs, rocks, scree, rockslides as well as grassy slopes and alpine meadows

- usually are close to rocky retreats and higher elevations to escape to

- usually found at about 6,500 feet

- are shy and seclusive, prefer higher elevations than Sheep

- are expert climbers with great stamina and agility

- do little travelling

- varied diet of grass, twigs and leaves

- strongly attracted to alkaline earth licks travelling to unusually lower elevations to get to

- weighes an average of 90 pounds

- lives in the forests

- travels in packs of 4-16, usually 4-6

- lives in dens in dry forested slopes and ridges

- are great travellers

- has a territory of 15-20 miles or more from the den

- howl at night

- Winter diet includes deer, caribou, moose

- Summer diet includes grass, roots, berries, mice, rabbits and birds