Wildlife

Grizzly Bear in Snow

NPS/Adams

Wildlife is never far in Grand Teton National Park. High in the mountains, a yellow-bellied marmot whistles a warning as a golden eagle soars above. Searching for insect larvae, a black bear rips into a rotten lodgepole pine log. On the valley floor, a herd of bison graze as a coyote trots through the sagebrush, looking for a meal. Along the Snake River, an osprey dives into the water with talons extended, rising with a cutthroat trout. In a nearby meadow, a moose browses the tender buds of willows growing in this rich environment.

Animals are interconnected. They relate to and shape the environment where they survive. Some of these relationships are obvious, while others are less so. These relationships and connections cross park boundaries. Grand Teton National Park's 310,000 acres lie at the heart of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem encompasses over twenty million acres and is considered one of the few remaining, nearly intact, temperate ecosystems on Earth. The animals inhabiting Grand Teton National Park depend on this vast area for survival, residing in and migrating to different areas depending on the season.

 

Greater Yellowstone Inventory and Monitoring Network

The Greater Yellowstone Inventory and Monitoring Network (GRYN) is one of 32 NPS inventory and monitoring networks created to provide oversight, planning, and consistency in monitoring the long-term health of the nation's parks. The parks of the GRYN include Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, and Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area.