Canada’s national parks are home to an incredible range of wildlife, but some animals are so elusive that spotting one is a rare and memorable experience. This year, visitors and park staff reported sightings of several species that are seldom seen up close, either because their populations are small or because they prefer remote, quiet habitats.
These moments offer a reminder of the rich biodiversity found across Canada and the importance of protecting the environments these animals depend on.
This article is for general information only. Wildlife sightings can vary by season, region, and environmental conditions. Photos are for illustrative purposes only.
1. Spirit Bear
With cream-coloured fur that glows against emerald forests, the spirit bear is one of the rarest bears on the planet. Found only in British Columbia’s coastal rainforests, this subspecies of black bear carries a recessive gene that gives it its distinctive white coat.
Parks Canada staff documented multiple sightings in remote areas of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve this spring. These bears hold deep cultural significance for Indigenous communities, who have protected them for thousands of years.
Observers should keep a safe distance and never approach wildlife.
2. Wolverine
Pound for pound, wolverines rank among North America’s toughest mammals. These stocky carnivores roam vast territories and rarely cross paths with humans, making every encounter noteworthy.
Banff National Park rangers confirmed several wolverine tracks and two visual sightings near backcountry trails this summer. Scientists estimate fewer than 300 wolverines inhabit all of Canada’s mountain parks combined.
Climate change threatens their snowy habitat, which they need for denning. Conservation efforts focus on maintaining connected wilderness corridors so these solitary animals can find mates and establish new territories across the Rockies.
3. Whooping Crane
Standing nearly as tall as an average adult, whooping cranes are North America’s tallest birds. Their trumpeting calls can carry for kilometres across open wetlands.
Wood Buffalo National Park hosts the world’s only natural nesting population of these critically endangered birds. Biologists counted 15 nesting pairs this breeding season, a hopeful sign after the species nearly vanished in the 1940s.
Only about 800 whooping cranes exist worldwide today. Each successful nest brings conservationists closer to recovery goals, though the species remains vulnerable to habitat loss and severe weather during migration.
4. Peary Caribou
Adapted to survive the harshest conditions on Earth, Peary caribou are the smallest and palest of all caribou subspecies. Their light-coloured coats provide camouflage against snow and ice.
Quttinirpaaq National Park reported the first confirmed sightings in three years this past summer. These caribou face serious threats from unpredictable ice conditions that block access to food sources beneath the snow.
Population numbers have dropped by more than 70 percent over recent decades. Parks Canada works with Inuit communities to monitor remaining herds and protect critical habitat across Canada’s High Arctic islands.
5. Black Swift
Quick as lightning and mysterious as fog, black swifts nest behind waterfalls in hidden mountain locations. These aerial acrobats spend most of their lives on the wing, catching insects mid-flight.
Yoho National Park naturalists identified a nesting colony near Takakkaw Falls in late June. Scientists know surprisingly little about these birds because they nest in such inaccessible spots and migrate thousands of kilometres to South America each winter.
Habitat disturbance and changing water flows from glacier melt could affect future nesting success. Bird enthusiasts consider any black swift sighting a special event worth celebrating.
6. Vancouver Island Marmot
Imagine a groundhog dressed in rich chocolate fur, living high in alpine meadows. That describes the Vancouver Island marmot, found nowhere else on Earth.
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve boundaries include habitat where two wild marmots were spotted this August. These social rodents nearly went extinct in the early 2000s, with fewer than 30 individuals remaining in the wild.
Captive breeding programs have helped boost numbers to around 200 today. Every sighting represents years of dedicated conservation work by biologists and volunteers who have given this unique species a second chance at survival.
