National Park Service LogoU.S. Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNational Park Service
National Park Service:  U.S. Department of the InteriorNational Park Service Arrowhead
Big Bend National ParkPanther Junction Visitor Center, 1965
view map
text size:largestlargernormal
printer friendly
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.
more...
Cavalry troops in the Big Bend  

Did You Know?
A reporter who accompanied a 1916 military expedition into Big Bend region of Texas described the area in the following terms, "The country isn't bad. It's just worse. Worse the moment you set foot from the train, and then, after that, just worser and worser."
more...

Last Updated: July 25, 2006 at 00:23 EST