![]() Caribou generally form small herds and use their large hooves in the winter to "float" on top of the snow, helping them escape predators. Unlike any other deer species, both the males and females carry antlers. Look for them at dawn and dusk along Snaring Road and the Henry House flats during the winter.Ĭaribou are comparable in size to elk, but are lighter in colour with large hooves. Smaller than mule deer, white-tail deer can be easily identified by their reddish coats and long brown tails that, when held upright at any sign of alarm, show a white underside. White-tailed deer are uncommon in the park, but can be seen in small numbers in the montane. Their summer diet includes shrubs and broad-leaved plants while their winter diet includes evergreen twigs, saplings, and shrubs foraged on open slopes and in aspen forests. Standing only about a meter tall with antlers larger than a white-tale deer's, mule deer are most commonly found in small groups in drier open areas. ![]() Although mule deer are frequently seen along roads and in the townsite during the winter, their population levels remain fairly low. Each year, a number of people are injured by park elk - do not approach any elk closer than thirty meters, and watch closely for any aggressive signs displayed by the animal (raised ears, glaring looks, snorting, stamping feet).Ī mule deer's distinctive features include large ears and a black-tipped tail. In the fall during the autumn rut, the bull elk become extremely aggressive, using their large racks of antlers to display their dominance. In the spring, mother elk protect their newborn calves fiercely warding off any creature that comes between them and their young. Today an increasing population of elk, especially in the townsite, has led to their relocation to other parts of the park and province.Įlk can be a very dangerous animals. Most of Jasper's elk have been re-introduced after hunting nearly extirpated them from the park at the turn of the last century. About 375 elk live in Jasper National Park, with large populations east of the park in the foothills. Tan-coloured animals with white rump patches, they can be seen throughout Jasper along the roadways and in the townsite. The Pocahontas wetlands, Yellowhead Pass, and Maligne Lake are some of the best viewing opportunities in the park.Įlk are the park's most common seen ungulate. There are about 150 moose in Jasper National Park. Calves (usually twins) are born in May and early June. The mating season is from mid-September to November, and males are particularly aggressive at this time. Its preferred habitat in summer is along stream banks and lakeshores where aquatic plants add to its regular diet of leaves and twigs. Easy to identify because of its long, gangly legs, palmed antlers, large, horse-like nose, and flap of skin hanging from the throat, called a dewlap. The moose is the largest member of the deer family. ![]() Both the males and females grow antlers in this species. ![]() Over winter, the antlers drop off, becoming a valuable source of minerals for small mammals. In the fall, once the antlers have fully grown, the velvet is rubbed off and the males use their new antlers to prove dominance over other males for the females. In the spring, the males* grow antlers that develop encased in a soft, fury coating called velvet. Deer have antlers that grow, fall off and re-grow annually. ![]()
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