Endangered Species in Denali National Park

Denali National Park and Preserve--originally established as Mount McKinley National Park in 1917, then extended and renamed in 1980--is home to 39 mammal species, 167 bird species, 10 fish species and one amphibian species. It is an ideal location for scientific study of how species respond to environmental changes. Scientists continue to assess animal populations and work to ensure that none decline to the point of becoming endangered or extinct.

Endangered Species

There are currently no threatened or endangered species in Denali National Park and Preserve, according to an environmental assessment by the United States Department of the Interior conducted in March 2005.

Mammal Species

Populous mammal species found in Denali National Park and Preserve include moose, caribou, grizzly bears, sheep, wolves, red foxes, wolverines and arctic squirrels. None of these face any immediate threat.

Bird Species

Birds are in abundance in Denali. Both year-round resident bird species like black-capped chickadees and migratory species like the sandpiper are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. However, scientists continue to look for ways to monitor bird populations.

Threats to Denali Wildlife

Subsistence and sport hunting are allowed inside the park and have not negatively affected the population of resident species. However, according to the National Park Service, there is growing concern that global climate change will soon begin to affect some populations.

Trumpeter Swans

While not yet on the endangered species list, the NPS states, "The most serious threats to trumpeter swans include habitat loss resulting from expanding human populations, increases in human disturbance, and lead poisoning."

American Peregrine Falcon

The American peregrine falcon breeds in Denali National Park, however, chemicals such as DDT have resulted in egg-shell thinning causing the birds to become an endangered species as of 1973. Numbers improved thereafter and the species was removed from the endangered list in 1999. Nonetheless, scientists continue to monitor them each year.

References

• National Park Service
• United States Department of the Interior
• National Park Service