BANFF NATIONAL PARK - Canadian Rockies: Including Banff and Jasper National Parks - page 40

THE ELK OF BANFF NATIONAL PARK
Few visitors leave Banff without having seen elk-a large member of the deer family
easily distinguished by its white rump. Though the animals have been reported
passing through the park for a century, they've never been indigenous. In 1917, 57
elk were moved to Banff from Yellowstone National Park. Two years later, 20 more
were transplanted, and the new herd multiplied rapidly. At that time, coyotes, cou-
gars, and wolves were being slaughtered under a predator-control program, leaving
the elk unfettered by nature's population-control mechanisms. The elk proliferated
and soon became a problem as they took to wintering in the range of bighorn sheep,
deer, moose, and beaver. Between 1941 and 1969, controlled slaughters of elk were
conducted in an attempt to reduce the population.
Today, with wolf packs returning to the park, the elk population has stabilized
at about 2,800. In summer, look for them in open meadows along the Bow Valley
Parkway, along the road to Two Jack Lake, or at Vermilion Lakes.
Each fall, traditionally, hundreds of elk moved into the town itself, but starting in
recent years, Parks Canada has been making a concerted effort to keep them away
from areas such as the golf course and recreation grounds. The main reason for this
is that fall is rutting season, and the libidinal bull elk become dangerous as they
gather their harems.
You may still see the odd elk feeding in downtown Central Park or walking
proudly down a fairway at the Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course, but it's more
likely you'll spot one while driving along park highways.
Wild Dogs and Cats
Coyotes are widespread along the entire Bow River watershed. They are attracted to Ver-
milion Lakes by an abundance of small game, and many have permanent dens there.
Wolves had been driven close to extinction by the early 1950s, but today at least four wolf
packs have been reported in the park. One pack winters close to town and is occasionally
seen on Vermilion Lakes during that period. The lynx population fluctuates greatly; look
for them in the backcountry during winter. Cougars are shy and number fewer than 20 in
the park. They are occasionally seen along the front ranges behind Cascade Mountain.