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Big Bend National ParkThe view from the Mesa de Anguila dwarfs two hikers
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Big Bend National Park
Animals
 
Studying and managing wildlife is seldom an easy task, but wildlife management along the border presents special challenges. Observing wildlife in the U.S. may tell only half the story, since many migratory birds, bats, and insects spend their winters deep in Mexico. Remoteness, inaccessible terrain, and a sometimes unstable political climate can make it difficult for wildlife researchers to gain information on wildlife along the border or far into the interior of Mexico. Problems can also arise when different countries have differing attitudes toward the same animal; one country may protect a certain species while another may want to eradicate it. Laws may protect wildlife and their habitat on this side of the Rio Grande while leaving them unprotected on the other side of the river
Mountain Lion Country!
Mountain Lions
Welcome to cougar country! Big Bend is home to one of the America's biggest predators.
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At the top of the Lost Mine Trail  

Did You Know?
Some people who take the Lost Mine trail in Big Bend National Park may be secretly looking for the lost mine, but most of them take the climb to enjoy the scenery, the vegetation, and the wildlife. The rocks are mostly lava but a few dikes of igneous rock filling fissures are seen along the way.
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Last Updated: July 25, 2006 at 00:23 EST