Animals in Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park, which was established in 1872 as the first national park in the United States, is located in Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. The wildlife that calls Yellowstone home is varied, with many large mammals being the focus of vacationers when they visit the park. Small mammals such as squirrels, rabbits, beaver and other common animals are here, but many larger animals also live in Yellowstone National Park.

Types

There are several types of animals living in Yellowstone National Park that visitors to the park are eager to see or at least hear. The gray wolf was reintroduced to Yellowstone in 1995 and has taken a foothold in the northeast corner of the park. The bison has been a staple of Yellowstone since it became a park, and there are elk, moose and deer. Grizzly bears and black bears live in Yellowstone, as do mountain lions and bobcats. The fastest North American land animal inhabits the park, as there around 5,000 pronghorn antelope there. Bighorn sheep can be found on the northern fringes of Yellowstone, and there are a large numbers of coyotes as well.

Significance

Yellowstone is one of the major tourist destinations in the United States, in large part because of the presence of animals such as the bison, elk, bear and wolf. Citizens flock to the park in hope of getting a glimpse at some or all of these species, many of which are endangered and not found in any large numbers outside of Yellowstone. Bears, especially, over the years have brought people to the region, as have the bison.

Size

The largest member of the deer family--the moose--makes Yellowstone its home. Mature bulls can weigh well over 1,000 lbs., and they have an impressive set of antlers as they grow older. Bison, which once numbered as many as 65 million in the United States, also make Yellowstone their home. Driven to the edge of extinction by extreme hunting pressure, there were maybe 50 bison left in Yellowstone as late as 1902. But they have been protected and managed by the government, and now there are as many as 4,000 bison roaming the park. The largest animal in the park by weight, a full-grown bull can tip the scales at a bit less than a ton.

Considerations

Of all of the larger mammals present in Yellowstone, the elk is the most plentiful. They tend to travel in large groups during the warmer weather, with cows and calves moving around through the northwest section of the park in particular. The males will be loners or move about in much smaller groups. The sometimes very tough winter weather thins out the weak from Yellowstone's elk herds, with predators such as bears and wolves taking their share as well.

Warning

All wild animals have the potential for danger, but the proximity between people and the wildlife in Yellowstone National makes using common sense very important. Needless to say, the bears should never be fed from your car, approached or bothered in any way. Moose, elk and bison are all more than capable of severely injuring a human being under the right circumstances. Dealing with a moose that is protecting her young is no way to spend your vacation trip to Yellowstone National Park.