Hungry bears and busy beavers: Alberta photographer captures animals in their elements

This is a busy time of year for Alberta's wild animals as they emerge after the long winter even if we don't get to see most of the action.

But with skill, patience and some long lenses, nature photographer Rick Price recently snapped these great shots of beavers in Hinton and bears in the mountain parks.

The bear shots arefrom late May to the middle of June in Banff and Jasper national parks.

When the bearscome down from the mountains to feast on the new spring growth, they seem to be almost everywhere, Price says.And then they vanish.

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Bears seem to love munching on dandelions.

Price uses several cameras for his nature pictures, including a Nikon D750 and a Nikon D800, with a 28-300 mmlens and the new Nikon 200-500 mm for telephoto shots so he doesn't need to get as close as it appears.

An adult and a cub graze togetherin a field.

Busy beavers in Hinton

Price took these shots of beavers in Hinton, Alta., at the town's Beaver Boardwalk.

The boardwalk is a three-kilometre wooden pathway that winds through wetlands and afully functioning beaver pond on the southern edge of town.

"The trick to beaver sightings is that they are only out at extreme dawn and dusk, and the other 95 per cent of the day you won't see them," he said.

"They are habituated to people and you don't have to take a telephoto lens ... they will be right there, in your face, 15 feet away."

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