Immerse yourself in the amazing animal and plant world surrounding Rogers Paradise Lodge. Enjoy seeing the wild animals but at the same time

respect them and observe the rules.

Black bears

Although the number of black bears is substantial, up till now we have had no problems with them. A black bear can reach a shoulder height of

over 90cms. There is a notable difference in weight between the male and the female. A female can weigh an average of 100kgs, and a male

about 120kgs. The black bear is an animal not to be underestimated.

We enjoy it when a black bear comes near to the Lodge, and we understand that our guests want to take photos of these amazing animals.

Nonetheless, we beg you to maintain a safe distance and not to approach the bear. You will probably have more opportunities to see other black

bears during your stay.

It has happened in the past that a boat was able to follow a bear swimming across the lake.

Grizzly bears (Brown bears)

Brown bears are rather rare around the Lodge and we have not personally sighted one yet. According to the previous owner these bears have

appeared on the terrace of the Lodge in the past. Bears are beautiful animals to observe, but are also dangerous predatory animals, therefore

we ask you to maintain a safe distance from them. You can observe them easily from the first floor of the main house. The grizzly is notably

bigger and heavier than the black bear, but don’t underestimate the speed at which they can travel. Normally they lumber along slowly, but

when necessary they can move very quickly and reach speeds of up to 50km/hr. They are also very good swimmers.

Bald headed Eagle / Osprey

After the Californian condor the bald headed eagle is the largest bird of prey in North America. The bald headed eagle has a body length of 70 –

90 cm long, the wing span 1.80 – 2.50 m. and a weight of 2.5 – 6.3 kg.

We are proud to say that a pair of bald headed eagles have nested on the Tchentlo Lake island and that nearly every year they have chosen to

raise their young there. They can often be seen near the Lodge hunting for fish on the lake.

The Osprey or fish eagle, can often be seen directly in front of the Lodge plummeting into the lake in the hope of finding a trout. They plunge

feet first and afterwards rise again into the air with the trout held firmly in its claws. A spectacle not to be missed.

The chipmunk (striped squirrel)

Guests love seeing the visit of the bustling chipmunk which have nested around the Lodge. You can look forward to when one of the barely hand

sized, almost fearless little chipmunks walk past you looking for dandelions in the grass, and testing the seeds for their ripeness. If the seeds are

to its taste, it separates the blooms and finds a suitable place to fill its stomach.

Lynx

Time and again we have been able to observe the lynx near the Lodge or on the shoreline of the Tchentlo Lake. These rather shy predatory cats

appear in the early morning hours. You might come across their tracks on a walk along the shoreline, and with a bit of luck, possibly spot one of

these wonderful animals.

The Blue Jay bird

The blue jay belongs to the family of ravens. It is easily recognizable by its amazingly bright blue feathers. For many years now, a pair of jay

birds have nested in the immediate vicinity of the Lodge. You barely open the doors of the Lodge in the morning and you come across a pair of

these blue jays. It can then easily occur that an unattended meal is stolen. The blue jay accompanies our guests during their stay in the Lodge.

They present themselves as beautiful and fascinating photo models.

Loon

If you hear a howling noise on the lake in the early morning or evening, it could be the song of the loon bird. The characteristic ‘song’ of the

loon is an extremely loud and melodic howl. It carries far and is one of the loudest calls heard in the arctic areas. Another call they make is a

warning call which will be made when they are feel threatened or are in danger. This noise is a shrieking laugh. Loons spend their entire life on

water or in the direct vicinity of the water. They are excellent divers, diving up to 75m deep and can stay up to eight minutes under water.

However, usually the depth of their dives is only two to ten meters, and it’s rare that they stay more than one minute under water.

On trips on the Tchentlo Lake you will regularly come across these magnificent divers. They can also often be observed from the terrace.

Hummingbird

In spring we regularly welcome our smallest flying guests. When it hums nearby it can sound like a swarm of angry bees, then you’ll know that

the humming bird, with its colorful and generally green shimmering feathers, is not far away. The head, throat and chest are decorated with

iridescent colors. The humming bird is the smallest of all birds, measuring 6cms from beak to tail. They make their hovering moves with a high

frequency of 40 – 50 wing beats per second. With this movement they can stay in the same place, to drink nectar for example. They can also fly

sideways and backwards. Sometimes in front of our terrace there is a fast and frequent amount of flying traffic. It’s always fascinating and a

pleasure to watch the small kamikaze flyers at work.

The American Mink

The American mink is a carnivorous animal from the Marten family. Although it was originally only found in North America, because of the

demand for fur coats, it has been farmed and hunted in other countries, mainly in Europe. It is not closely related to the European mink. The

species could not be cross bred. The American mink lives in thick undergrowth, and can also be found along the shorelines of rivers and lakes,

as well as swamps. Minks are excellent swimmers and can dive up to 6m deep. They live alone except during mating season, and they can react

very aggressively towards their own species.

If you miss a fillet of fish or even a whole fish when fileting your catch, then look around, probably the fish thief is not too far away. Never leave

a fish unattended, even for a short time. It has happened a number of times that a mink has come quietly along and stolen the fish. Look

downwards, minks have been found sitting on a guests shoes waiting for a piece of fish to fall down.

Moose

The moose can adapt well its habitat but generally prefers uneven, difficult terrain. They are relatively scattered and generally stay in an area

that they know. This is due to the flight behavior of the moose. Moose flee from their predators such as wolves and bears. With their long legs

they can easily jump over fallen trees and other obstacles, and walk easily through snow, something that their predators find difficult to do. This

behavior is possible because the moose stays in a territory that is familiar to it. Moose eat mostly very energy rich foods like young tree shoots

and water plants. Moose are the only type of deer that can eat under water. We regularly see Moose in the vicinity of the Lodge. The mother

Moose brings her young to the lakes edge. Also the tracks left behind betray the presence of these fascinating animals.

Canadian Porcupine

The Canadian porcupine, also known as the North American porcupine is a rodent of the porcupine family. It is the largest and best known of its

type and is found mainly in Canada and the north and west of the USA. When threatened they mostly try to avoid their attacker and seek shelter

in a tree. When this is not possible they bristle their quills and swing their tails like a club. In this way a quill might become free and embed itself

in their attacker, and with every movement dig deeper into the skin.

We have already experienced the fact that the Canadian Porcupine is a very voracious rodent. The wooden door of our workshop as well as the

rubber mats in front of the doors must taste really good to them. When eating, they don’t allow themselves to be disturbed and therefore are

easy to observe.

Canadian Great Horned Owl

The Canadian great horned owl is the northern subspecies of the Virginian owl and lives in the forests of Canada and Alaska. The males reach a

height of 51cm, with a weight of 680 – 1450 g. The females are clearly bigger and heavier with a body length of 60 cm and a weight of between

1 and 2.5 kg. These owls usually hunt during dawn and dusk. They sometimes observe the area from a high perch, and then the hunt is carried

out from a gliding position. If they see their prey, they fly silently and quickly and can home in on the exact position of their prey with their

strong claws. They are very successful hunters.

In the last few years a pair of owls have nested here near the Lodge, and time and again a large owl can be seen flying by as dusk approaches.

They often observe the area from the top of one of the flag masts. Also, the bridge piles are a favourite observation post of theirs. Sometimes

you can hear the call of the owls the whole night through till early morning. The mating season usually begins at the end of winter. Then the

typical owl calls are heard even more.

Wolf

The Canadian wolves are territorial animals and hunt mostly in a pack. They generally tend to hunt caribou, moose and other types of deer.

Wolves find their prey most often using their sense of smell. They attempt to come as close as possible to their prey without being observed. If

the prey flees it will only be followed at speed for a short distance. The Canadian wolf reaches a body length of approximately 120 – 140 cm,

and a shoulder height of about 90cms, as well as a weight of close to 40 kg.

In this locality more wolves are being seen all the time, we have already seen one wolf or another. We were delighted to see the sight of two

wolf pups. This is however, usually just a quick encounter.

IT IS FORBIDDEN TO FEED WILD ANIMALS !!!