Guyana Journal | Wild Alberta

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Wildlife
Wild Alberta

Saikat Kumar Basu
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada T1K 3M4

Guyana Journal, December 2011

Alberta, a Prairie province in Western Canada, is the home of the spectacular diversity of wildlife species in the continent of North America. The province is lodged with the edges of the Rocky mountains of British Columbia in the west, boreal forest rich North West Territories in the north, prairies in the south, and the prairie province of Saskatchewan in the east. The province exhibits a wide diversity of vegetation from the boreal forests in the north to the Prairies in the south and thus harbors several unique ecosystems and prime wildlife habitats across the province.

The river valleys of the province also represent diverse riparian ecosystem and the woodlands, another unique refuge for a number of wildlife species. The natural wetlands in the province have been rapidly depleted due to anthropogenic encroachments, agricultural expansions and human settlements and farming activities. However, due to the initiatives of the irrigation department and extensive irrigation water system establishment, wildlife have started returning in many parts of the province which are under active farming practices.

Sustainable agricultural activities and environment friendly farming initiatives have supported the return of the wildlife in many parts of the province that have been previously reported to be depleted of local species. Pheasants, waterfowls, deer, antelope and bison populations have recovered from the devastations of over exploitations in the past, though several endemic fish, amphibian, reptile and avian species are still on regular surveillance and threatened with challenges of habitat fragmentation, diseases, environmental pollution, habitat loss, over harvesting and population decline.

There are however good news of several other wildlife species recovering from past onslaught and making a come back as a result of careful planning and scientific management of prime wildlife habitats, construction of wildlife corridors and passages across busy highways reducing accidental road kills, sustainable farming and other eco-friendly agricultural practices, legal protection, conservation initiatives of government at both provincial and federal levels, liberal land donations and gifts for creation of wildlife refuges by land owners, farmers and ranchers, and lastly, awareness among farming and local communities about the importance of conserving local wildlife. These show great promise for the return of the wild ….

The province is home to a multitude of mammalian species starting from elegant grizzlies and black bears to coyote, wolf, fox, deer (mule deer, white tailed deer and elks) and antelope (pronghorns) species, moose, caribou, prairie and woodland bison, beaver, wolverine, bobcat, lynx, cougar, porcupine, bat, badger, skunk, raccoon, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, ground squirrels, fisher, flying squirrel, common squirrel, chipmunks, ferrets, and musk rat, to name a few. A number of bird species are now endangered, such as bay-breasted warbler, black-throated green warbler, burrowing owl, Cape May warbler, Harlequin duck, loggerhead shrike, long-billed curlew, peregrine falcon, piping plover, sage grouse, Sprague's pipit, trumpeter swan and whooping crane. Bull trout (the provincial fish) is a native species and is still struggling to return into their natural habitats, but conservation efforts are in action. Some of the toads and salamander species of the province are also highly endangered and are now being actively investigated to recover the trends of population decline. A number of aquatic bird species, raptors and other smaller bird species have made remarkable comebacks.

The prairie rattle snake and few mammalian species like woodland caribou, wolverine, swift fox and Ord's kangaroo rat are still on the endangered species list and will need more time to show positive signs of recovery from their current decline in most parts of the province. The Canada geese, ospreys, bald eagle, blue jay, snowy owl, sage grouse, herons, warblers, chickadees, woodpeckers are representative of the diverse avian species of the province. The great horned owl and the Rocky mountain sheep are the provincial bird and animal respectively. More efforts will be needed to successfully establish the reintroduction of the native species back into their natural environment. Although there is still a long way to go, the initiatives have been in place for the good. Overall, the province represents a wide diversity of spectacular wildlife species and thereby needs to be protected for the future generations to enjoy the grandeur and the splendors of Wild Alberta….

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Wildlife
Wild Alberta

Saikat Kumar Basu
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada T1K 3M4

Guyana Journal, December 2011

Alberta, a Prairie province in Western Canada, is the home of the spectacular diversity of wildlife species in the continent of North America. The province is lodged with the edges of the Rocky mountains of British Columbia in the west, boreal forest rich North West Territories in the north, prairies in the south, and the prairie province of Saskatchewan in the east. The province exhibits a wide diversity of vegetation from the boreal forests in the north to the Prairies in the south and thus harbors several unique ecosystems and prime wildlife habitats across the province.

The river valleys of the province also represent diverse riparian ecosystem and the woodlands, another unique refuge for a number of wildlife species. The natural wetlands in the province have been rapidly depleted due to anthropogenic encroachments, agricultural expansions and human settlements and farming activities. However, due to the initiatives of the irrigation department and extensive irrigation water system establishment, wildlife have started returning in many parts of the province which are under active farming practices.

Sustainable agricultural activities and environment friendly farming initiatives have supported the return of the wildlife in many parts of the province that have been previously reported to be depleted of local species. Pheasants, waterfowls, deer, antelope and bison populations have recovered from the devastations of over exploitations in the past, though several endemic fish, amphibian, reptile and avian species are still on regular surveillance and threatened with challenges of habitat fragmentation, diseases, environmental pollution, habitat loss, over harvesting and population decline.

There are however good news of several other wildlife species recovering from past onslaught and making a come back as a result of careful planning and scientific management of prime wildlife habitats, construction of wildlife corridors and passages across busy highways reducing accidental road kills, sustainable farming and other eco-friendly agricultural practices, legal protection, conservation initiatives of government at both provincial and federal levels, liberal land donations and gifts for creation of wildlife refuges by land owners, farmers and ranchers, and lastly, awareness among farming and local communities about the importance of conserving local wildlife. These show great promise for the return of the wild ….

The province is home to a multitude of mammalian species starting from elegant grizzlies and black bears to coyote, wolf, fox, deer (mule deer, white tailed deer and elks) and antelope (pronghorns) species, moose, caribou, prairie and woodland bison, beaver, wolverine, bobcat, lynx, cougar, porcupine, bat, badger, skunk, raccoon, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, ground squirrels, fisher, flying squirrel, common squirrel, chipmunks, ferrets, and musk rat, to name a few. A number of bird species are now endangered, such as bay-breasted warbler, black-throated green warbler, burrowing owl, Cape May warbler, Harlequin duck, loggerhead shrike, long-billed curlew, peregrine falcon, piping plover, sage grouse, Sprague's pipit, trumpeter swan and whooping crane. Bull trout (the provincial fish) is a native species and is still struggling to return into their natural habitats, but conservation efforts are in action. Some of the toads and salamander species of the province are also highly endangered and are now being actively investigated to recover the trends of population decline. A number of aquatic bird species, raptors and other smaller bird species have made remarkable comebacks.

The prairie rattle snake and few mammalian species like woodland caribou, wolverine, swift fox and Ord's kangaroo rat are still on the endangered species list and will need more time to show positive signs of recovery from their current decline in most parts of the province. The Canada geese, ospreys, bald eagle, blue jay, snowy owl, sage grouse, herons, warblers, chickadees, woodpeckers are representative of the diverse avian species of the province. The great horned owl and the Rocky mountain sheep are the provincial bird and animal respectively. More efforts will be needed to successfully establish the reintroduction of the native species back into their natural environment. Although there is still a long way to go, the initiatives have been in place for the good. Overall, the province represents a wide diversity of spectacular wildlife species and thereby needs to be protected for the future generations to enjoy the grandeur and the splendors of Wild Alberta….