Backblip
During our travels in the Rockies we’ve seen bears by the side of the roads but have been very wary of walking on the trails unless there are several people around.  Walkers are advised to make a lot of noise, travel in groups and even wear bells and carry bear spray.  At one beautiful photo stop we quickly retreated to the car when I realised that there was no one else around but evidence of animal droppings.  Worse than being confronted by a bear would be an elk with her young and two walks that I’d hoped to do in Jasper were closed for that reason. We saw several kinds of animals and did see male elks grazing in the town but they just glanced at us.
Because so many animals were being killed when roads crossed their territory, in Banff National Park high fences by the road and special wildlife crossings are being built on the Trans Canada Highway.   Some are underpasses and others are overpasses and without looking artificial as they are wide, open and covered with native plants to integrate them with the surroundings. Since then fatalities have been reduced by about 90%.  Remote cameras have been installed and a great amount of research has contributed to the knowledge of the eleven different large animals using them.  The overpass in the extra is still being constructed.