Sheep on the Road

If you are travelling in Alberta through either Banff National Park or Jasper National Park, you must watch out for wildlife on the road.



They have warning signs and slower speed limits in the parks but some people rush along oblivious to the danger that might be right around the corner.  Others come to sudden stops if they spot an animal and forget about the traffic behind them.

Rocky Mountain Sheep are often spotted beside the road but they also wander into the traffic lanes as well.  Often tourists on the road need watching as well.  I was travelling in the park once when a I spotted a woman flagging down traffic.  A man, (her husband we presumed) was standing in the middle of the highway taking a picture of a large elk that was just across the road.

Here we see a family of sheep that are licking the salt off the highway.  Late spring and early summer is when you find a fair number of animals licking the roads.

These sheep were in a parking lot instead of on the main highway but I've been stopped numerous times by animals on the road.

Just this fall, traffic was held up both ways by a herd of sheep on the highway near Jasper.  Semis had to grind to a stop and then slowly get back up to speed once the sheep had finally moved enough so the traffic could creep by.

Here we can see the young sheep getting braver as time goes by.  The parents are more relaxed so the youngster doesn't remain hidden.

He is learning independence but doesn't stray too far from his parents.  Tourists also have to remember that these are wild animals and to give them their space.

Photos taken in Banff National Park.