by Cameron Scott

Created on: May 31, 2009

In the centre of Alberta, just 45 kilometres east of Edmonton, lies the tiny sanctuary known as Elk Island National Park, one of Canada's hidden gems. It is the eighth smallest Canadian national park, just 195 square kilometres in size.

People come to Elk Island to see wildlife in the wild, from the east-west Yellowhead Highway (#16) and from north-south Highway #15, and on foot from one of the eleven maintained hiking/skiing trails to the south of the Yellowhead. For the protection of the animals, both sides of the Yellowhead Highway are lined with a three metre fence.

For over a hundred years, ever since a herd of transplanted Montana bison was bought by the Canadian government and brought to Alberta, the park has been home to a wild population of ungulates, or cud-chewers, second only to that of the Serengeti. Although Elk Island is best known for its large herds of elk and bison, it also has white-tailed deer, mule deer, and moose.

Elk Island National Park also has native wolves, coyotes, bears, and cougars, as well as the smallest terrestrial mammal in North America, the pygmy shrew. Beavers were reintroduced in 1942, and now number over a thousand. The endangered trumpeter swan was reintroduced in 1987, and now breeding pairs are returning to the park annually. Birdwatchers will delight in sightings of the double-crested cormorant, great blue heron, American bittern, and red-necked grebe.

Elk Island also assists with reintroduction efforts elsewhere. Wood bison from Elk Island have been relocated to Yakutia in Russia, where the steppe bison has long been extinct. Elk and plains buffalo have also been relocated to appropriate environments throughout Canada.

To preserve a healthy northern prairies plateau ecosystem between the plains and the northern boreal forest, Parks Canada regularly burns off the low aspens and fescues. Fires are a natural part of forest and grassland sustainability. In Elk Island they promote ecological diversity, opening up new growth while holding down the invasive aspen. Other natural environments which can be found in Elk Island are sedge meadows and the black spruce bogs left over from old beaver ponds.

Three campgrounds are open for public use. Sandy Beach has two campgrounds, one for winter camping, one for summer. The third campground, Oster Lake, is open year-round.

All visitors to Elk Island National Park are warned that the wildlife in the park is truly wild, and should be treated with respect. Hiking is discouraged during late summer, prime mating season for the park's ungulates.

Learn more about this author, Cameron Scott.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.