A surveyor and trader for the Northwest Company comes across tracks of an unusually large, unidentified animal witnessed in Alberta, Canada

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Here's an old report, from 1811 David Thompson, the great explorer of the western US and Canada: Once upon a time, on January 7th, 1811, David Thompson, a surveyor and trader for the Northwest Company, was attempting to cross the Rocky Mountains near the present day site of Jasper, Alberta. Thompson kept a daily journal, (see T.C. Elliott, "Journal of David Thompson," Oregon Historical Quarterly, 15 (March-June 1914) Thompson also published a work called the "Narrative", which was based on his journals. In the journal entry for January 7th, 1811, Thompson wrote: "I saw the track of a large Animal - has 4 large Toes abt 3 or 4 In long & a small nail at the end of each. The Bal of his foot sank abt 3 In deeper than his Toes - the hinder part of his foot did not mark well. The whole is about 14 In long by 8 In wide & very much resembles a large Bear's Track. It was in the Rivulet in about 6 In snow." 40 years later, when he expanded upon this experience in his "Narrative", ...