Thanks to Yellowstone, many species can increase the number of specimens in their population. In this huge park, they enjoy a protected habitat that offers them food and shelter.
The delicate situation of the Sumatran rhinoceros
Nature parks are very important protected areas for animals because within their limits they can settle and reproduce without the threat posed by the presence of man. We invite you to discover which animal species are at risk of extinction in Yellowstone.
Endangered animal species in Yellowstone
Founded in 1872, Yellowstone Nature Park is the first nature park to boast this definition. It covers an area of more than 8,000 square kilometers and is located in the United States of America. More specifically, most of its territory belongs to the states of Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana.
This natural park was not created exclusively to protect animals and plants, because it also has important geological phenomena. Due to its large size, numerous ecosystems are included within its boundaries. Most of it consists of forests, but also contains prairies, marshes, lakes, etc..
Yellowstone welcomes thousands of tourists every year: the protection of this park determines which areas can be accessed, there are somewhere you can not enter in vehicles. Proof that this protection plan works well is provided by the fact that life in the park functions normally and is not damaged by human activity.
Of course, hunting is prohibited within the boundaries of the park. Animals living within its limits are not forced to deal with the threat posed by human beings. Its inhabitants, in fact, settle down and reproduce with peace of mind.
Grey wolf
One of the best-known cases of endangered animals in Yellowstone is the grey wolf (in the photograph at the beginning of this article), which disappeared decades ago from this part of the continent due to hunting. During the nineties, several herds were introduced into the park: they reproduced, migrated, formed new herds...
Nowadays, the grey wolf population in Yellowstone Park enjoys excellent health. In addition, it has been possible to study in detail how the flocks grow, how they relate to each other and what effects a species that is introduced into the food chain of an ecosystem causes.
Black-foot ferret
A similar case is that of the black-foot ferret. In 1980 it was thought to be completely extinct, but, surprisingly, a specimen appeared in an area near the park. A captive breeding program and subsequent release made it possible for more than 1,000 black-foot ferrets to live in Yellowstone today.
Grizzly bear
However, the king of Yellowstone is the grizzly bear. This is another endangered animal species in Yellowstone which, thanks to the park, is being saved. It is estimated that a few centuries ago there were almost 50,000 specimens. Even if nowadays there are about 2.500 of them in North America, their number continues to increase, thanks to the protection guaranteed by the park.
The grizzly bear is the king of Yellowstone Nature Park.
Bald Eagle
The national bird of the United States survives thanks to this nature park. During the last decades, pesticides, which killed its prey, have weakened its population. However, within the boundaries of Yellowstone, they can feed and reproduce normally, having enough food and adequate shelters.
Yellowstone allows the survival of the bald eagle
Although the bald eagle is no longer considered an endangered species and is now classified as "threatened", its activity is closely monitored because its population is not increasing as fast as expected.
Bison, one of the symbols of Yellowstone
The bison lived occupying all of North America (it is estimated that there were more than 10 million specimens), but, with the arrival of the English, in recent centuries their population has been reduced to the point that it is unthinkable to be able to recover without extinguishing.
Yellowstone hosts a large number of bison specimens
Today, Yellowstone is home to the world's largest herd of bison. They have been reintroduced following a project aimed at their reproduction in captivity and it is estimated that about 300.00 specimens live in the park.