Friday, November 06, 2015

Walking in the Path of a Grizzly

Grizzly prints are not common because the ground must be just right for an impression to form and last.


This print of the right hind paw of a grizzly was a solitary find in the middle of the Big Elbow Trail in Kananaskis. There were no prints ahead or behind. There had been rainfall in the last 24 hours. The grizzly likely chose this forest freeway to move quickly during the night to a new destination. The print likely formed when the grizzly stepped into a depression with mud that was just the right consistency to form a distinct impression. We were lucky enough to come along before other hikers disturbed the print.

References
1. Naughton, Donna. The Natural History of Canadian Mammals. University of Toronto Press. 2012.

No comments: