Black Bear Brown Cub

These pictures were taken just outside of Banff on the old highway, Bow Valley Parkway 1A, between Banff and Lake Louise.  It is interesting as the two cubs were brown, and the mother a Black Bear.  Just to confuse things, a Black Bear, can actually be brown.  In Canada we call the Brown Bear a Grizzly bear.  There are only 3 types of Bear in Canada: Black Bear, Grizzly Bear and Polar Bear.  You will only see the Black and Grizzly in the Canadian Rockies.  A Grizzly can be identified by several features including distinct shoulder hump. This hump is due to large muscles necessary for digging roots, tubers and ground squirrels.

For photographs of bears and other animals in the Western Canada, visit the summer photo gallery.

Please remember to keep at least 100 metres away from a bear if you see one, even if you are in a car.  Use a telephoto lens if you want to take a picture and give the bear plenty of space.  What sadly happens, know as a "bear jam" to locals, is that cars and RVs hold up the traffic to see the bear and the bear gets familiar with humans being close. Familiarisation is not good as we want them to stay wild! As soon as a bear is familiar with humans, it is much more likely to run into problems. A fed bear is a dead bear and it is a serious offence to feed any wildlife in a National or Provincial Park.

If you see a bear, cougar or wolf near Banff, please call the Warden's office immediately on 403-762-4506

Children Ski and Fly Free!

Children ski free with rocky-peak Ski Holidays* and fly free with Zoom Airlines**.

Flight details:

Pay Only the Fees and Taxes for Children Under 18 on all Zoom Airlines Routes. Visit www.flyzoom.com and enter the promotion code Children2008

BOOK BY July 31st 2008!

*Children Ski Free at select ski resorts. Conditions apply: visit the ski specials page for details.

**Flight Terms & Conditions: Limited availability. Taxes, fees & charges apply. Valid on all routes when booked before 31 July 2008. Must be a round trip flight. Minimum of 2 Adults paying full fare per booking. Maximum of 2 children per discount per booking. Child is subject to the discount in the seating class selected by the accompanying adults. Child must be 17 years old or younger as of return flight date.

Ski Lift Pass Rates 2008-2009

Be sure to check out the 2008-2009 ski lift pass rates for Banff Norquay, Lake Louise, Sunshine Village, Whistler Blackcomb and Jasper Marmot Basin. Other ski lift pass rates are available on request.

View the ski specials for great promotions such as kids ski free and early bird deals!

To book, visit your one stop ski holiday specialist: rocky-peak Ski Holidays!