An Alberta Bestiary

Book excerpt: Bestiary: A compendium of animals or birds, real or mythical, with a description of their habits and appearance. Most important to a bestiary is the religious or moral lessons that each animal can teach people. In this context, the book seeks to build on the traditions of the medieval bestiary and considers the unique animals of the Alberta Mountains and foothills. From the perspective of a rancher who has an intimate knowledge of the landscape and animals, the feel and texture of natural life are illuminated in prose that is both stirring and humorous. With the author's sensitivity to the rhythms of the land, the animals and the heavens, the reader is drawn into the natural world where connections to historical knowledge underscore a passionate concern for the environment and humankind's responsibility to the world we share with all creatures.