Town of Banff

Roam's Wolves

Alpha Female Wolf Photo: © John E. Marriott, wildernessprints.com

Photography by John E. Marriott

"Wolves are one of the toughest animals to photograph in the Canadian Rockies.

I spent 47 days in the field in 2007-08 trying to get good wild wolf photos... driving, hiking and snowshoeing for hundreds of hours.

Fortunately, I did have several amazing days and managed to get some beautiful images of Banff wolves.

This photograph is of the alpha female wolf of the Bow Valley pack, which ranges from Bow Summit on the Icefields Parkway south into Kootenay National Park and west all the way to the edge of the Town of Banff. The Bow Valley pack raised an astonishing six pups in 2007."

Update 2009

John Marriott's photo of Delinda, familiar from the back panel of Roam's "Wolf Bus", graced the cover of the December 2009 issue of Canadian Geographic magazine.

In August of 2008, Delinda was killed on the Trans Canada Highway in Banff National Park.

John Marriott was one of the people called to identify her body,  and "it was, without a doubt, one of hardest things I've had to do as a professional wildlife photographer" he says in his blog.

Since Delinda's death, the pack has disintegrated and now there are only fragments of her pack remaining in the Park.

John has strong views about conservation in our National Park and is an advocate for promoting Parks and Wildlife Management in the Bow Valley.

His hope is that Delinda's photo, featured on the cover of the December issue of Canadian Geographic,  will inspire people to "make a difference in Banff and in the world of conservation." 

Check out John's blog for a great narrative on how he met Delinda and the stunning photos of his journey with her pack.


Read more about John's adventures in wildlife photography, and watch for his new book  Wildlife of the Canadian Rockies, in stores throughout Banff.