{"id":29329,"date":"2021-07-19T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-18T22:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures?p=29329&preview=true&preview_id=29329"},"modified":"2024-09-18T16:37:25","modified_gmt":"2024-09-18T06:37:25","slug":"canada-animals-wildlife","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/canada-animals-wildlife\/","title":{"rendered":"8 incredible animals you’ll find in Canada"},"content":{"rendered":"

UPDATED: This article was originally published in September 2018.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Canada may be most famous for its winters \u2013 snow-capped mountains, hot apple cider and gnarly slopes to carve up. But there\u2019s another major drawcard in all seasons: the incredible variety of wildlife found throughout the country.<\/strong><\/p>\n

From the iconic moose and grizzly bear, to quirkier fellows like the beaver and porcupine, if you enjoy seeing adorable, fascinating or enormous creatures in their natural habitat, there’s no better place than Canada<\/a>. You won\u2019t see wildlife, in sublime settings like this, anywhere else.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s our top list of animals you might<\/span> be lucky enough to spot on an adventure around Canada\u2019s best national parks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Animals in Canada<\/h2>\n

1. Bears<\/b><\/h3>\n
\"Two

Photo by Patagonian Stock AE<\/p><\/div>\n

Canadian nature reserves \u2013 whether it\u2019s up in the top of the Rockies, or down in Jasper and Banff National Parks \u2013 are renowned for their bear sightings, and these guys sure do draw a crowd. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Grizzly Bear, with its shaggy coat and giant paws, can be found hanging out with its family or snacking on wild salmon in the higher regions of the Canadian Rockies, and around British Columbia and Alberta. The other type of bear you might just catch glimpses of is the Black Bear, which lives across Canada in the various forests and bushland, although this one\u2019s a little harder to spot.<\/span><\/p>\n

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN FOR BEARS (AND MOOSE, DEER AND COYOTES)
\nON OUR 15-DAY CANADIAN ROCKIES ADVENTURE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

2. Moose<\/b><\/h3>\n
\"Moose

Photo by BGSmith<\/p><\/div>\n

Weighing up to 400 kilograms, the moose is the largest of the deer family, and one of Canada’s most well-known mammals. These animals have a noticeable hump on their back, big antlers, and a long face kind of like a horse; and due to their mammoth size, you definitely won\u2019t miss them if they\u2019re around. <\/span><\/p>\n

Moose are good swimmers, with thick hooves for walking through snow, so you\u2019ll have a good chance at spotting them year-round, from deep in the national parks of Jasper and Banff, to the lakes and wetlands around Yoho and Glacier.<\/span><\/p>\n

EXPLORE CANADA ON ANY OF THESE SMALL GROUP ADVENTURES<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

3. Deer<\/b><\/h3>\n
\"Deer

Photo by Damien Raggatt<\/p><\/div>\n

From the striking white-tailed deer, with their white collars and bellies, and reddish-brown coat, to the heftier, hairier Elk breed with broad sweeping antlers, you\u2019ll find deer in forests and open terrain across the Canadian Rockies, and in Banff and Jasper national parks. The best part? Unless they\u2019ve been spooked, deer and moose are rarely aggressive and make for great photo subjects.<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED: WHY WINTER IS THE PERFECT TIME TO TRAVEL IN CANADA<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

4. Beaver<\/b><\/h3>\n
\"Beaver

Photo by Sylvie Bouchard<\/p><\/div>\n

With their stocky bodies, webbed feet, buck teeth, and slapping tails, beavers are as odd as they are interesting. Cutting down over 100 trees every year, the beaver is a busy animal, and crafty builders too. Most active between dusk and dawn, you might be lucky enough to spot some bobbing along down the river or paddling through wetlands anywhere there\u2019s water, such as Banff or Yoho National Park.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Porcupine<\/b><\/h3>\n
\"Canadian

Photo by Jukka Jantunen<\/p><\/div>\n

The porcupine’s a spiky fellow, and with over 30,000 quills sticking out of its body, it\u2019s definitely something you don\u2019t want to go poking. The porcupines use their prickly armour as a defence against predators, and can even dislodge a few quills as they swing their tail at enemies, as if they\u2019re throwing them. That said, these guys are mostly peaceful by nature, and can be found minding their own business deep in the forests. So any time you\u2019ve got the chance to go on a hike or forest adventure, keep your eyes peeled for these cute critters.<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED: LIFE IN THE NORTH: OUR TOP 6 ARCTIC WILDLIFE EXPERIENCES<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

6. Bison (Buffalo)<\/b><\/h3>\n
\"Large

Photo by BGSmith<\/p><\/div>\n

While there were once tens of millions of bison in North America, now you\u2019re most likely to spot these guys roaming around open areas in national parks, particularly in Banff after conservationists reintroduced herds of bison to the area. The bison is recognised by its rugged coat, big head, horns, and sturdy stature, giving them a fierce and brooding appearance. <\/span><\/p>\n

7. Coyotes<\/b><\/h3>\n
\"Coyote

Photo by Jim Cumming<\/p><\/div>\n

Found all over Canada, from the forests, Rocky Mountains, and national parks of Jasper and beyond, they don\u2019t call them \u2018wily coyotes\u2019 for nothing; with their slanted, yellow eyes and crafty nature, these animals are renowned for being boisterous and shady characters. Smaller than their wolf cousins, they tend to travel in packs and live in prairies, plains and deserts in British Columbia, Alberta, and beyond. They\u2019ve even been spotted in urban areas, snatching leftovers out of bins or prowling for food. <\/span><\/p>\n

8. Great Blue Heron<\/b><\/h3>\n
\"Great

Photo by VDV<\/p><\/div>\n

No list would be complete without a nod to our bird-watching friends, and what better bird to name-drop than the Great Blue Heron? This stunning creature has an \u2018S\u2019 shaped neck, with grey feathers, a blue crown, yellow bill and long legs. Their features get brighter around mating season, and you\u2019ll spot them strutting their stuff around rivers and wetlands in the British Columbia national parks pretty much all year.<\/span><\/p>\n

SUBSCRIBE TO INTREPID\u2019S NEWSLETTER FOR TRAVEL TIPS, COMPETITIONS, GIVEAWAYS & MORE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Grab your camera!<\/b><\/h3>\n

\u00a0Whether it\u2019s deer bounding through forests, beavers bustling about their dam-building business, or grizzly bears frolicking downstream, you\u2019ll want to keep your camera close. In all of Canada\u2019s exceptional national parks, from the Rockies to Banff, down to Glacier and Yoho, there\u2019s no shortage of wildlife to observe and admire.<\/span><\/p>\n

Explore Canada’s incredible national parks<\/a> and spot beavers, bears and moose on a small group adventure with Intrepid now.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Feature image by Damien Raggatt.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Animal lover? You should read this. And book a trip in Canada. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16045,"featured_media":29337,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[455,1313],"tags":[198,423,292],"class_list":["post-29329","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature","category-guides","tag-canada","tag-north-america","tag-wildlife","ipf_theme-wildlife","ipf_region-canada"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n8 Animals You'll Find In Canada | Intrepid Travel Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"From the moose and 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