8 Stunning Animal Wildlife of Whitehorse Yukon in Winter | Outdoor Tips and Destinations in Canada

8 Stunning Winter Wildlife of Whitehorse Yukon

Always wanted to see the infamous mountain goat and snow white arctic fox in person? Discover these mystical winter wildlife of Whitehorse Yukon.  Given the extreme cold conditions and constantly changing climate in the northern territory, occasionally you can also catch a brand new breed of wildlife that starts moving into the Yukon border.

Winter Wildlife in Whitehorse - Beautiful scenery and sky in the surroundings of the yukon wildlife reserve
Beautiful scenery and sky in the surroundings of the Yukon wildlife preserve

I did a lovely  tour conducted by Arctic Range Adventure around the Yukon Wildlife Preserve, which is the home to 13 different types of wildlife. The guide, Yuuri was a lovely friendly guide with informative stories about the animals in the preserve. He could speak in almost 5-6 different languages fluently, which was quite impressive and useful for all kinds of tourists.

Wildlife in Whitehorse I Sunny day in Whitehorse Yukon Wildlife Preserve, but I was freezing in the -20degrees cold
Sunny day in Whitehorse Yukon Wildlife Preserve, but I was freezing in the -20degrees cold

So introducing to you the following:

8 Stunning Winter Wildlife of Whitehorse Yukon

#1 Wood Bison

The wood bison are majestic creature of winter. We couldn’t get a closer look at them but their curved hunch back, dark brown coat of hair as they munch their food, it was quite a majstic sight.

Wildlife in Whitehorse I Dark Brown wood Bisons munching away in their field when the bunch of hay arrived
Dark Brown wood Bisons munching away in their field when the bunch of hay arrived

#2 The Elegant Elk

I really love all the beautiful pretty elks we met in this visit. Their daiinty deer like movements, inquisitive nature and little horns on their heads. A fun fact is that both the male and female elks have antlers, though the male have bigger ones, naturally to intimidate other males or impress the ladies.

Wildlife in Whitehorse I Lone curious elk walking on his own pass us to have a look at us strange humans
A lone curious elk walking on his own pass us to have a look at us strange humans. These pretty creatures drop and replace their horns throughout the year, and both the male and female elks grow antlers, even though the male ones are bigger.

#3 Mully Moose

Watching this peculiar donkey ear like moose chilling out on the snow is such a delight. It has a curved camel like mouth and was just resting on its own away from all the other male moose. Apparently she was the only female so they kept her away from all the other male moose.

Wildlife in Whitehorse I Lone female teenager moose in the field
A lone female teenager moose in the field, away from the rest of the adult Moose

Speaking of male moose, not long after we encountered one, with only 1 antler! Even with only one, he looks very majestic and intimidating, as he strolled on and pass us on his big hooves.

Winter Wildlife of Whitehorse I Mr Mosse and the wooden cabin
Mr Mosse and the wooden cabin

Standing just ahead of us, he is much taller than me, and I definitely do not want to be attacked by a winter moose like this brown creature here.

Winter Wildlife of Whitehorse I Male Moose have lost one of his antlers during a fight
Male Moose have lost one of his antlers during a fight

#4 Snow White Arctic Fox

The pretty little balls of fur, the snow white fluffy arctic fox truly blends into its surroudings. They are hard to spot but extremely adorable looking with their big black alert eyes.

Adorable fluffy arctic fox completely blended into the snow
Adorable fluffy arctic foxes completely blended into the snow

#5 Cute Adorable Mule Deer

One of the highlights of our visit to this wildlife sanctuary is the mule deer!!

Look at how adorable all of them are, peering inquisitively at us through the fence and have completely lost interest in their food. I especially love the tiny one on the far right, with his big big ears.

winter wildlife of whitehorse Adorable mule deer staring at us in bemusement
Adorable mule deer staring at us in bemusement. The baby mule deer is really sweet looking!

#6 Not-so-thin Thinhorn Sheep

Here we have the curvy thinhorn sheep. Not sure where the thin part comes from, but those horns are incredible and beautiful! It’s like massive hoop earrings that weigh a ton on these strong powerful creatures.

Thinhorn sheep chilling at one corner of the fence. such big horns I didnt dare to get too close
A thinhorn sheep chilling at one corner of the fence. Such big strong looking horns that I didnt dare to get too close

#7 Mountain Goat ( My Favourite)

If you have followed me till this part, the mountain goat will have to be my ultimate favoutite with his huge coat of fur, funny looking face and strange hunch when he wallks.

winter wildlife of whitehorse Pretty white mountain goat staring at me while in munches its food
Pretty white mountain goat staring at me while in munches its food. These creatures are known to be the best mountain/ alpine climbers in the world. Even with hooves!

It really looks like it is a fake goat with a coat swung over its body in disguise. Do you know these goats are one of the best mountain climbers in the world, and can balance on narrow rock features and cliffs?

Unbelievable isn’t it?

winter wildlife of whitehorse- The perculiar looking but majestic snow rock mountain goat trotting along in his pen
The peculiar looking but majestic snow rock mountain goat trotting along in his pen. Looks like a man in a sheep disguise.

#8 Woodland Caribou, also commonly known as ‘Santa’s Reindeer’

Stunning sight of the Woodland Caribou with the sunset, or more commonly known name as Reindeer
Stunning sight of the Woodland Caribou with the sunset, or more commonly known name as Reindeer

In summary, these are the main Winter Wildlife of Whitehorse I caught on camera, but you can also spot 4 other types of animals there, like the red fox, snowshoe hare, Canada lynx, squirrels and muskoxen as well. Read more details about all the animals in the preserve here.

winter wildlife of whitehorse - sunset in Whitehorse Yukon is truly stunning
Catching the sunset in Whitehorse Yukon is truly stunning

Yukon Wildlife Preserve is a really lovely place to visit if you travel with young ones or are a winter wildlife animal lover. Furthermore, the bonus of this tour is that it ends off with a lovely visit to the Takhini Hotsprings just after sunset, so that you can soak your frozen tired bodies and enjoy the natural goodness of the Canadian hot springs. For more details on the Wildlife tour, please visit Arctic Range website to check out the rates and more visitor information.

To read more about the attractions in Yukon, discover dog sledding or do some aurora borealis sighting.

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