Columbian Ground Squirrel, Banff National Park

I recently spent a few days (far too short!) exploring Banff National Park, and one morning was dedicated to Sunshine Meadows. After a 25-minute gondola ride followed by the 8-minute open-air Mount Standish chairlift, I arrived at breathtaking high mountain trails bursting with vibrant alpine flowers, pristine glacial lakes and a bit of mountain wildlife, including plenty of Columbian Ground Squirrels like this little fellow. Behind him, the slopes were dotted with stunning mountain blooms, from the seedheads of Western Pasqueflowers (aka "mopheads") to other colorful alpine treasures.

Sony a7iv, Tamron 28-200mm

Only post-processing was cropping.