National Park Guide » Wildlife

Eat a Lionfish, Help National Parks, And Win Cash Prizes!

Kurt Repanshek — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 07:13:41 +0000

A series of lionfish fishing derbies is scheduled for the coming weeks with hopes the poisonous fish that is invading coastal national parks in Florida and the Virgin Islands can be cut down before it gains a significant foothold and impacts native fishes and corals.

Though eleg

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Fall Spectacular: The Season of Love For Wildlife In Yellowstone

Beth Pratt — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 07:40:49 +0000

Editor's note: [i]Is there any other national park like Yellowstone when wildlife "love" seems to be going on in every direction you look in the Fall?

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Wildlife watching in Yellowstone National Park takes on a bit of a voyeuristic flavor in the fall, as the park’s famed mega-fauna embark in the pursuit of romance during their annual ruts in an often public spectacle that rivals any of the drama on The Bachelor. Visitors can hear the loud thunderclap of bighorn sheep clashing, the raucous bugling of bull elk, or the deep grunting and bellowing of bison—all performed in pursuit of a mate or mates.

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Fall Spectacular: What’s That Sound? Where To Listen To — And Look For — Wildlife in the National Parks

Danny Bernstein — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 07:41:41 +0000

Editor's note: Fall is arguably the best time to see, and hear, wildlife in the national parks. From elk bugling in the Rockies -- and even the Appalachians -- to bird migrations, your options are many for pairing wildlife and a fall park visit, as Contributing writer Danny Bernstein explains.

In the fall, animals and birds prepare for winter.

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In the fall, animals and birds prepare for winter. Bears eat constantly to fatten up before they slow down. Many birds are already on their migration path. Elk and other ungulates are preparing for the mating ritual, the rut. Take a look -- or stop and listen -- in many national parks this Fall and you'll catch a glimpse of this autumnal spectacular.

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Fall Spectacular: Elk Once Again Bugle In Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Danny Bernstein — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 07:24:04 +0000

Editor's note: [i] What started out as an experiment in 2001 is now considered a success.

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A male elk ambles through the field checking his harem. He sidles up to each cow and sniffs her rump. Raising his massive rack of antlers, he sees two young bucks, chases them out of the field, and resumes his inspection. He lifts his face to the sky and bugles – a loud, mournful sound that resounds throughout the area. Bugling tells females he’s here and warns other males to stay away.

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Are Wolves Effective In Keeping Elk From Overbrowsing Aspen in Yellowstone National Park? Apparently Not

Kurt Repanshek — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 07:00:42 +0000

When wolf packs were successfully returned to Yellowstone National Park back in the mid-1990s, they were followed by droves of scientists and researchers keen on learning how the predators might impact the rest of the park's wild kingdom.

One of the hypotheses that was floated back then, and subsequently supported by research, was that the wolves would be good for th

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Researchers To Begin 37th Year of Grizzly Bear Research in Yellowstone National Park

Kurt Repanshek — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:07:38 +0000

Grizzly bear studies in Yellowstone National Park will become a bit more intense in the coming weeks as wildlife biologists head into the backcountry to trap bears and gather data.

The effort marks the 37th consecutive fall that members of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team have gone into the park's ba

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Grizzly bear studies in Yellowstone National Park will become a bit more intense in the coming weeks as wildlife biologists head into the backcountry to trap bears and gather data.

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Excavations of Sea Turtle Nests Draw a Crowd at Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Jim Burnett — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 06:43:47 +0000

Efforts to protect sea turtle nests at Cape Hatteras National Seashore have been controversial in some quarters, but the work is clearly paying off. Once eggs have hatched, NPS staff members excavate the nest to gather information and check for any remaining eggs or hatchlings.

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Efforts to protect sea turtle nests at Cape Hatteras National Seashore have been controversial in some quarters, but the work is paying off. So far this year, a record 151 nests have been recorded, and once the eggs have hatched, the nest is excavated for further study. The public is welcome to watch the process, and it's been a crowd pleaser.

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Trout Unlimited Joins With National Park Service to Remove Diversion Dam near Grand Teton National Park

Kurt Repanshek — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 07:16:25 +0000

For four decades the Spread Creek Dam has blocked the migratory route of a unique species of cutthroat trout in waters that flow into Grand Teton National Park.

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For four decades the Spread Creek Dam has blocked the migratory route of a unique species of cutthroat trout in waters that flow into Grand Teton National Park. That's all about to change thanks to a partnership between Trout Unlimited and the National Park Service.

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Bears Lost Ironic Advocate in Jim Cole

Todd Wilkinson — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 07:17:22 +0000

Jim Cole has been on my mind again.

The photo you see here is one I took not long ago a few steps from my computer keyboard. 2010 was to be Cole’s big summer for reaching a wider audience.

Upon hearing of the recent fatal grizzly bear attack in Soda Butte Campground, a U.S.

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Jim Cole has been on my mind again. The photo you see here is one I took not long ago a few steps from my computer keyboard. 2010 was to be Cole’s big summer for reaching a wider audience.

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park Ready to Remove “Experimental” Tag From Elk Herd

Kurt Repanshek — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 07:08:25 +0000

After nine years of nurturing an elk herd, biologists at Great Smoky Mountains National Park believe they can remove the "experiemental" tag from the herd and develop a long-term management program for it.

“Since we released the first elk into the park in 2001 we have been gathering data to assess the long-term viability of elk in the Smokies, along with evaluating t

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