Research and Education
in the National Parks

National Park Service Research and Education in the National Parks

PART I
THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM IN THE NATIONAL PARKS

WILD-LIFE DISPLAYS

In the course of a trip through a national park it is seldom that the visitor does not catch a glimpse of several different kinds of wild animals. If one is fortunate in Yellowstone, he may see deer, elk, antelope, and bear to his heart's content. These animals are not always seen by the people who hurry through the park in their automobiles, but the quiet watcher on the trails is sure to be rewarded. At certain times of the year the visitor may see mountain sheep, bison, and moose if he journeys into their distant retreats. In other parks the wild life is likewise abundant and usually to be seen from roads and trails.

FIGURE 11.—A portion of the Lamar valley buffalo herd, Yellowstone National Park. In the summer months when the herd is far away in the range country, a number of the buffalo are kept in a corral at Mammoth, where thousands of tourists go to see them. If it were not for this arrangement, the buffalo would seldom be seen by summer visitors.

Because of frequent disappointment expressed by visitors who have failed to see the wild life which abounds in the parks, certain of the rare animals have been captured and temporarily kept on display. In Yosemite two mountain lions and a wild cat are kept in a small zoo. Yellowstone has a buffalo herd and usually a few coyotes on display in an inclosure. The general policy has been to reduce such displays of captive animals to a minimum.

Reptiles also make a valuable educational display. At Yosemite it has been shown that lizards and snakes may be easily kept during a summer season and then liberated in the fall. Similar displays of reptiles are found at Grand Canyon and Zion National Parks. By means of such displays the old superstitions and fear of reptiles are dispelled in the minds of visitors who have a chance to study them at close hand.

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Last Modified: Sat, Feb 16 2002 10:00:00 pm PDT
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