Grizzly, wild horses, baby owlets and more: Photos catch wildlife shaking off winter doldrums

There's a grizzly believed to be "The Boss."

There's a fox with half a tail.

There are bald eagles and baby owlets, elk and horses, all emerging from their winter doldrums as spring breaks out across the foothills.

Southern Alberta wildlife photographer Rick Price spent some time shooting photos on April 4 in Jasper and the 20th near Banff and shared them with CBC. Price doesn't disclose his exact whereabouts to spare the wildlife from Instagram-happy iPhone shooters.

Here's a small sample.

Price — who ran a photo studio in Red Deer for 35 years — uses a telephoto lens and keeps his distance from animals including a grizzly he suspected was "The Boss," known as the biggest, baddest bear in Banff National Park.

The Boss, also known as Bear 122, has been known to eat other bears and even survived being hit by a train. 

Parks Canada recommends photographers stay at least 100 metres — the equivalent of 10 bus lengths — from bears, unless you're inside a vehicle, and 30 metres from other large species.

It's also important to keep your distance so the animals don't become habituated to humans — a dangerous situation that might force Parks staff to put them down. (Parks also wants to remind shutterbugs that it's illegal to be on railroad tracks.)