| Natural Region 12 |
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WILDLIFE
The aspen parkland is extremely productive wildlife habitat. White-tailed deer, coyotes, snowshoe hares and ground squirrels are conspicuous mammals. The numerous potholes in this zone provide for the highest density of breeding dabbling ducks in North America, particularly mallards, shovellers and pintails. In the past, vast herds of bison ranged into this zone.
Beaver, re-introduced to Elk Island National Park
© Parks Canada |
The northern forest zones, though not as rich in wildlife as the aspen parkland, are characterized by moose, black bear, muskrat, beaver, lynx, wolverine and wolf. |
Wood bison are resident in the extreme northern portions of this region. Some of the more notable migrants to the northernmost reaches of this region include the whooping crane, white pelican and sandhill crane.
STATUS OF NATIONAL PARKS:
Four national parks represent this natural region: Elk Island (194 km2), Riding Mountain (2,973 km2), Prince Albert (3,874 km2) and Wood Buffalo (3,854 km2 or 8% of the total area of the park).
Elk Island is a fenced wildlife sanctuary of forested hills and rolling meadows surrounded by grain fields and pastures in the aspen parkland zone of this natural region.
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Wandering herds of plains bison and elk can be seen form scenic parkways and trails winding around lakes and beaver ponds. Public interest in the conservation of rapidly dwindling wildlife led to the establishment of Elk Island National Park in 1913. |
Elk Island National Park
© Parks Canada |
Like Elk Island, Riding Mountain is an island of forest rising out of a sea of farmland. The park includes a diversity of landscapes - evergreen and hardwood forests, rolling hills, valleys, lakes and streams. A highland plateau in the centre of North America, the park is a crossroads where prairie, boreal and deciduous life zones mingle.
National Parks System Plan, 3rd Edition