The Yellowstone National Park is home to numerous species of animals, offering a safe place where they are free from human development and hunting. Many of these species are endangered, and their populations are stable or increasing only due to the protections afforded them within the confines of the park. This is just one of many reasons why national parks and monuments are so important — more than just human enjoyment is at stake. Let’s take a look at just five endangered animal species of Yellowstone National Park.
1. Grizzly Bear
Grizzly bears living in Yellowstone and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem are on the endangered species list for over 40 years. In fact, they are perhaps the most well-known endangered animal species of Yellowstone. However, that may soon change. Despite conflicting opinions from the scientific community, there are plans to remove them from this protected status. It remains to be seen what effect this may have on their numbers.
2. Gray Wolf
Many visitors to Yellowstone hope to see wolves, but they are elusive creatures. They were removed from the endangered species list in the state of Wyoming, where the majority of Yellowstone National Park is located. However, they are still considered endangered in many other states. In the early 1900s, these wolves were nearly extinct in most of the United States. Thankfully, they have begun to recover thanks to reintroduction efforts in Yellowstone.
3. Canada Lynx
These big cats are very rarely seen in Yellowstone and are listed as threatened throughout the lower 48 states. They require large amounts of land for hunting and living, which makes Yellowstone crucial for their continued existence.
4. Black-Footed Ferret
These small carnivores thrive on a diet of primarily prairie dogs, but they almost disappeared from the western United States when ranchers cleared them out to make room for their cattle. In fact, many believed black-footed ferrets were extinct until 1980. It was not until a dog brought home a dead ferret in rural Wyoming that scientrists realized there was still a small population in existence. Since then, captive breeding programs have brought these animals back from the brink. While they are not currently known to reside within the boundaries of the park, a population of these ferrets has been developed in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem a short distance from the park.
5. Pika
These small, cartoonish mammals are not one of the endangered animal species of Yellowstone – yet. However, some scientists and environmentalists are pushing for their designation as endangered due to their rapidly declining numbers. They are sensitive to temperature, which means that climate change poses a massive risk for them. Because of this, they are an indicator species for the effects of climate change.
Featured Image from Steven Cordes/Unsplash
