Anniversary
of the Creation of the First National Park in the World!
On
this date in 1872, U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant signed into law a
bill that created the world's first national park, Yellowstone. This
2-million-acre park fills one corner of the state of Wyoming and
spills a bit into Montana and Idaho as well. It is famous for its
many geothermal features, such as bubbling mud pots and stunning
geysers, but another thing people count on when they go visit
Yellowstone is seeing wildlife.
And
not only is Yellowstone important for wildlife, the whole concept of
a national park is crucial and has helped to keep some wilderness
areas...well, wild! Now more than 100 countries have set aside land
in national parks, including China with its 208 national parks, and
Australia with its 685 national parks!
(Wow!)
Yellowstone
is one of the best places in the U.S. (aside from Alaska) for
wildlife, including the wildlife that people most want to see: large
mammals. There are 60 species of mammals in the park, including the
gray wolf, lynx,
grizzly bear,
bison,
black bear,
elk,
moose,
mule deer,
white-tailed deer,
mountain goat,
pronghorn,
bighorn sheep,
and mountain lion.
She-e-esh,
huh?
Trust
me, you're going to see a few of these—but mostly herds of bison
and elk, and a few deer. If you're lucky, you might see a mountain
goat or a bighorn sheep. You'd have to be VERY lucky to see a moose
or one of the carnivores!
Yellowstone
has the largest public herd of American bison in the U.S. It
also has large herds of elk. As a matter of fact, there used to be
too many elk, until the gray wolf was reintroduced to the area.
Of
course, there are many other smaller mammals, plus fish, birds,
reptiles, and insects, in Yellowstone. It's a great place for
animals—and therefore a great place to go see animals!
For
info on Yellowstone's geysers...
...check
out this earlier post.
Also
on this date:
Did
you know...?
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