At Jasper National Park, high in the Canadian Rockies, spring is a full, fragrant bloom: food is plentiful and new life emerges. But spring does not come easily, and for newborn youngsters dangers abound. Many must learn to run first and ask questions later.
Spring doesn't come easily to the Canadian Rockies. Winter never leaves without a fight. On mountainsides high above the valleys, bighornsheepgear up for an age-old ritual. These males are bachelorrams. They areroughhousing now, but in the fall, these clashes will turn deadly serious when they compete for the attention of ewes. But now, it's spring and the ewes are focusing their attention on other matters.
Lambs spend their first month close to their mothers. For sheep, survival depends on quickness and agility. Throughout their lives, they'll be closely watched by predators. These little lambs must learn to run first and ask questions later. This time, evading a lone wolf is pretty easy especially on a craggy mountainside. But sheep have many enemies out here.
Jasper is in full fragrant bloom. Food is plentiful and new life is emerging. Aspen trees cast their seeds to the wind. An elk gives birth in a forest hideaway. For the next few days, the mother will conceal her calf even from other elk. She must chase off last year's daughter, so she can nurse this year's son.
Elk aren't the only one with new arrivals. Coyote pups are already up and about. Their father guards them while their mother is out on a hunt. Energy and curiosity are these pups' greatest assets. There will be much to learn in coming months. Fortunately for them, coyotes are doting parents.
But having a family of happy rambunctious coyotes so near doesn't sitwellwith the mother elk. They are meat-eaters and make her nervous. After all, she has a newborn to look after. The pups dive back into the den she approaches. Their father remains outside, holding the high ground. Remarkably, the elk takes the offensive, but she can't get at the pint-sized pups, they are safe in their den. When the coyote mother unexpectedly returns, the stalemate is broken. It's time to move on. The neighborhood has gone to the dogs.
bighorn sheep
A wild sheep (Ovis canadensis) of the mountains of western North America, the male of which has massive, curved horns. Also called mountain sheep, Rocky Mountain sheep
大角羊，加拿大盘羊：北美洲西部山区产的一种野羊（大角羊 加拿大盘羊）， 雄性有粗大卷曲的角 也作 mountain sheep， Rocky Mountain sheep
gear up
If someone is gearing up for a particular activity, they are preparing to do it. If they are geared up to do a particular activity, they are prepared to do it.
...another indication that the Government is gearing up for an election...
The factory was geared up to make 1,100 cars a day.
bachelor
A male animal that does not mate during the breeding season, especially a young male fur seal kept from the breeding territory by older males.
尚未交配的小雄兽：在繁殖季节中未交配的雄性动物，特别指被较年长的雄性拒于交配领地之外的年轻的雄性海豹
ram
an adult male sheep
roughhouse
to play roughly or pretend to fight
ewe
a female sheep
craggy
a mountain that is craggy is very steep and covered in rough rocks
aspen tree
a type of tree from western North America with leaves that shake a lot in the wind 白杨树
elk
one of the largest types of living deer, found in N Europe, N Asia, and N America ?罕, 驼鹿, 赤鹿（产於北欧﹑ 亚洲北部和北美洲）
coyote
A small, wolflike carnivorous animal (Canis latrans) native to western North America and found in many other regions of the continent. Also called prairie wolf
丛林狼：一种产于北美西部的外表象狼，体形较小的食肉动物（犬属 山狗） ，但在北美大陆的许多其他地区都可以见到 也作 prairie wolf
doting
If you say that someone is, for example, a doting mother, husband, or friend, you mean that they show a lot of love for someone.
rambunctious
noisy, full of energy, and behaving in a way that cannot be controlled
three rambunctious kids
sitwell (with)
v. Find favor with; please. The reduced school budget did not sit well with the teachers.
pint-sized
small - usually used humorously
the pint-sized child star
stalemate
stage of a dispute, contest, etc at which further action or discussion by either side seems to be impossible; deadlock 僵持阶段; 僵局 |