Wildlife Watching in America's National Parks

Book excerpt: From the Great Smoky Mountains to Point Reyes National Seashore, America’s national parks are home to some of nature’s great wildlife spectacles. Here, Gary W. Vequist and Daniel S. Licht, two veterans of the National Park Service, focus on twelve animals that have been imperiled and at risk, but are now protected within the National Park System. Showcasing one species for each month of the year, including gray wolf, black bear, prairie dog, sea turtle, bison, bats, salmon, elk, beaver, American alligator, gray whale, and bald eagle, Vequist and Licht pair each premier species with a featured park, adding information about other parks where the species may also be readily seen and identifying other animals to look for in the same habitat—animals that prey, are preyed upon, or exist side by side with the focal species. Beyond being a guide to observing these remarkable animals, Wildlife Watching in America’s National Parks, as the title implies, is also a book about America’s national parks. Reminding Americans why national parks are truly our “best idea” and encouraging readers to go find out why, these career wildlife specialists stress that it is “impossible to fathom America without these animals and without the parks in which they reside.” Nature lovers, travelers, and outdoor hobbyists of all types will be enthralled by this inside view of America’s wildlife and the breathtaking photographs of places they inhabit. List of Wildlife and Parks Featured: Yellowstone National Park: Gray Wolf Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Black Bear Badlands National Park: Prairie Dog Dry Tortugas National Park: Sea Turtle Theodore Roosevelt National Park: Plains Bison Carlsbad Caverns National Park: Bats Olympic National Park: Pacific Salmon Buffalo National River: Rocky Mountain Elk Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Beaver Everglades National Park: American Alligator Point Reyes National Seashore: Gray Whale