David Warren

Black bear on the Window Trail, 2006

Big Bend is a wild place, dynamic and wide open, complete with the age-old life and death struggle of competition, survival of the fittest, a wildlife paradise. With over 650 species of vertebrates and 3,600 species of insects, Big Bend is a living, breathing laboratory of biodiversity. Visitors see it in action daily, often reporting their encounters with javelinas, sighting a mother bear with cubs, or delighting in the antics of the roadrunner chasing its lizard prey.

Below are summaries of black bear and mountain lion sightings, taken from wildlife sighting cards turned in by park staff and visitors. Rare bird sightings are also collected and posted on a quarterly basis.

Remember, we can only list the sightings you report. Always report unusual sightings to a park ranger.

Monthly Bear and Mountain Lion Sighting Summary Reports  (Updated up to one month after the close of the reporting month)

2009

January | February | March | April | May | June | July-September NA | October | November | December

2008
January | February | March | April | October | November | December

Previous years
2007 (January-December)
2006 (January-December)
2005 (January-December)