2012-01-16

Black Bears in Algonquin Park


Algonquin Park in Ontario, Canada is one of my favourite places on earth.   Located at the transition between the southern deciduous forests and the great northern boreal forest, this immense piece of protected wilderness is home to a large diversity of wildlife, including over 2,000 black bears.   That may sound like a lot of bears, but bear in mind (pun intended, feel free to groan) that the park contains over 2,400 lakes and is 7,653 square kilometers in size.

My love for Algonquin Park began when I was 11 years old and my father took me into the interior of the park for a fishing trip.  I remember my grandmother was angry with him, worried I might be eaten up by black bears but my father just laughed it off - he wasn't concerned.

Accessible only by canoe, (after numerous portages) the park's interior is the most remote place I've ever been.  One afternoon, I paddled alone to a nearby island, pulled the canoe up onto a little patch of sandy shore, and began to explore.  Leading away from the water's edge was narrow path in the grass, made by animals after many trips down to the water for a drink.  Without any thought to my own danger, I followed the trail into the woods.  Soon I spotted a giant granite outcropping, and left the trail to go and climb it.  Once I reached the top, I stopped to admire the view of the lake over the treetops and I remember thinking to myself, that perhaps, I was the first and only person to have ever stood atop that rock.  You might expect that I experienced some sense of loneliness or insignificance when I compared myself to the vast wilderness surrounding me, but I remember feeling a great sense of contentment and peace.  And I gave no thought to bears.





14 comments:

  1. Oh, I remember hiking in Alaska and running into a brown bear unexpectedly. My brave dog was not about to sacrifice himself and took off down the trail. I faced the bear and slowly took off my pack. I put it on the ground and backed away, hoping the bear would go for the food in the pack and not me! Truthfully, the bear was not really paying any attention to me, but I was scared to pieces.

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    1. I've gone hiking in bear country a few times, and I'm always on the look out. You're lucky your dog ran away. Often bear attacks are started by a dog confronting it.

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  2. Best place on earth. I'm with you, a great sense of contentment and peace.

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    1. I'm conflicted because on one hand, I want everyone to experience it, but on the other hand, I was really discouraged the last time I was there because the hiking trails were swarming with people!

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  3. Love love love this park. Nature at her best.

    that Rick Mercer - cutest thing ever! The bears I mean :)

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    1. Aren't they adorable?! And Rick always good for a laugh.

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  4. I got relatives in Canada. Now I guess I have a reason to visit them xD

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    1. Well...I can't guarantee a bear sighting, but you should definitely plan a visit.

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  5. I still can't get my head round nature in Canada compared to nature in the UK. You have it MASSIVE over there - everything is on a bigger scale - the mountains, the rivers, and the animals. Awesome place. The biggest wild animal we have got here is a badger.

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    1. I thought so too, until I went to the Amazon. Talk about everything being oversized! I saw a moth the size of a duck!

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  6. WoW! I'm really glad I took the time to watch the video -- fun & funny!! Looks like an amazing place!!

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  7. Really enjoyable and funny as always! Would your posting this be regarded as PIRACY? I'm sure I've seen it posted in other places already. However, with all the reports today about SOPA & PIPA or whatever, I did wonder. Would be a shame if such simple sharing would become a crime.

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    1. You've raised a good point. The SOPA & PIPA bills haven't been passed yet, and if they are, they will become American law, applicable to Americans. But it will effect all internet users, worldwide. If passed, the bill will make every website liable for copyright infringement on their own pages, PLUS (and this is a BIG plus) copyright infringement on every single website that they post a link to. It will basically cripple sites like Google, YouTube and Wikipedia.

      As for your question regarding this post, I am not in any copyright violation as the CBC's Rick Mercer Report (who has the rights to it) uploaded this video to be shared on You Tube. If it was in violations of SOPA & PIPA, I would be liable for posting it on my blog, and my blog could/would be banned in the U.S. and removed from search engines.
      Tube.

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  8. Great info about Algonquin Park. I just had gone through your blog and would say that I have really enjoyed browsing around your blog posts. I would be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write again soon!

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