Canada, with so much land und much of it relatively remote, has abundant wildlife yet conservation is an ongoing nessity. The following are some of the most interesting and/or most common animal.
Bears These are Canada's largest and most dangerous animals. They are widely dispersed, and as there are four major types, most of the country is populared with at least one kind.
Grizzly Bear This is the most notorious bear and is found on the higher slopes of the Rocky and Selkirk mountains of British Columbia, Alberta and the Yukon. The grizzly is big - standing up to 275 cm high. It can be recognised by the white ends of its brownish hair and the hump on the back behind its neck. It can't see well but makers up for that with its excellent senses of smell and hearing. To make maters worse, it's a very fast animal. The best thing about a grizzly is that it can't climb trees. Like other bears, it is normally afraid of people but can be unpredictable and is easily provoked.
Brown Bear Actually a black bear but brown in colour, the mostly nocturnal brown bear is found mainly in British Columbia, Alberta and the Yukon. Not to be confused with the brown bear of Europe and Asia which is closely related to the grizzly.
Black Bear The most common of bears, the black is found all across Canada. The black bear often mooches around campgrounds, cottages and garbage dumps. It is usually less than 150 cm high at the shoulders and 90 kg in weight. It's active during the day and can clumb threes.
Polar Bear The polar bear is a very large - up to 680 kg - with thick, white-ish fur. It is found only in the extreme north but can be viewed in Churchill, Manitoba and in zoos. A majestic animal, it is grceful in the water despite its size and apparent awkardness. Due to hunting, it is now a protected animal.
Beaver One of Canada's symbols, the beaver is an animal known for its industriousness, hence the expression 'busy as a beaver'. Found all across Canada, it is usually seen in the garty morning or early evening paddling across a stream or lake with its head just above water. It chews down threes for food and for material with which to build its home. This home, a lodge, looks like a rounded pile of mud and sticks and is located in streams and ponds dammed off by the beaver.
Buffalo/Bison The buffalo now exists only in government parks. It is a huge, heavy shouldered, shaggy herextinction has become symbolic of the Europeans' effect on North American Indians and their enivironment. Technically, Canadian buffalo are bison, and there are two races, woodland and plains. Recently there have been sporadic attempts to raise buffalo for their meat and it occasionally show up on menus.
Wolf The wolf like a large silver-grey dog. Its ferocious reputation is more misconception than fact. Hunting has pretty well banished this animal from the southern populated regions, but may hear the wolf's howl late at night if you're in the bush. It usually hunts in packs and rarely harms humans.
Coyote More widespread than the wolf the coyote is smaller and timid, with an eerie howl or series of yaps used fof communicating. It is more scavenger than hunter and is sometimes the victim of massive poison-bait campaigns by western ranchers and farmers.
Deer Various types of deer are plentiful in the woodland of Canada, ranging across the entire width of the country. They are quiet and timid and object of much hunting.
Moose This is one of the largest animals and again, a popular target for hunters. The moose is found in woods and forests all across Canada, particularly around swamps. Moose are, for the most part, a more northerly ranging animal than deer. They have large, thick antlers and are brown.