BACKGROUND - Canadian Rockies: Including Banff and Jasper National Parks - page 504

Caribou
Small populations of caribou inhabit the backcountry of Jasper National Park, including
the Bald Hills near Maligne Lake. They are also occasionally spotted from the Icefields
Parkway south of Sunwapta Falls. Native people named the animal caribou (hoof scraper)
for the way in which they feed in winter, scraping away snow with their hooves. Caribou
are smaller than elk and have a dark brown coat with creamy patches on the neck and
rump. Both sexes grow antlers, but those of the females are shorter and have fewer
points. On average males weigh 180 kilograms (400 pounds), females 115 kilograms (250
pounds). Like the elk, they breed in fall, with the males gathering a harem.
BEARS
The two species of bears present in the mountains—black bears and grizzlies—can be dif-
ferentiated by size and shape. Grizzlies are larger than black bears and have a flatter, dish-
shaped face and a distinctive hump of muscle behind their neck. Color is not a reliable
way to tell them apart. Black bears are not always black. They can be brown or cinnamon,
causing them to be confused with the brown-colored grizzly.
Black Bears
If you spot a bear feeding beside the road, chances are it's a black bear. These mammals
are widespread throughout all forested areas of the Canadian Rockies. Their weight varies
considerably, but males average 150 kilograms (330 pounds) and females 100 kilograms
(220 pounds). Their diet is omnivorous, consisting primarily of grasses and berries but
supplemented by small mammals. They are not true hibernators, but in winter they can
sleep for up to a month at a time before changing position. During this time, their heartbeat
drops to 10 beats per minute, their body temperature drops, and they lose up to 30 percent
of their body weight. Females reach reproductive maturity after five years; cubs, usually
two, are born in late winter, while the mother is still asleep.