2023-10-24 00:14:40
With more than 400 bird species and 100 mammal species (jackalope not included), Wyoming is a wildlife lover’s dream. See if you can spot these eight critters on your next visit. Find tips on where to glimpse these wild creatures and more at TravelWY.com/spot-wildlife. SCAN TO HEAR THE SOUNDS THESE ANIMALS MAKE BISON Wyoming’s state animal has grazed the geothermal expanses of Yellowstone since prehistoric times. Today, sightings are a regular occurrence throughout Yellowstone National Park, Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis, Kendrick Park in Sheridan and Bear River State Park in Evanston. WESTERN MEADOWLARK Wyoming’s yellow-breasted state bird has a song so distinctive it’s likened to a flute. Listen for its chipper calls in Wyoming’s open grassland as a signal of spring’s arrival. Its nests are snuggled amid vegetation, and it feeds on bugs and seeds, so look down rather than up when scanning for them on open space. BALD EAGLE America’s national bird is a regular character all over Wyoming, often seen flying along the state’s most traveled roads. Their recognizable, white-feathered heads and expansive wingspans make them easy to spot around Yellowstone Lake and in Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge near Green River. These kings of the sky like to feed on fish, so watch for them near lakes and streams. ELK With antlers that can tower up to 4 feet, elk are a majestic sight to behold. Favorite haunts include Medicine Bow National Forest outside Laramie, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and western Wyoming’s Star Valley. Many elk journey to the National Elk Refuge in Jackson each winter. COYOTE You’ll likely hear the soulful yips and howls of Wyoming’s coyotes before you see them, especially at night. These brownishgray canines frequent scenic areas like the Red Desert, Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park and Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge. GRIZZLY BEAR Wyoming’s famed grizzly bears are so common you might see them roaming above treeline, along rushing rivers and across shortgrass prairies. Watch for them on Grand Teton and Yellowstone park land, though be sure to give them ample space. See p. 54 for wildlife-safety tips. RED FOX Most active at dawn and dusk, the red fox — known for its ruddy, fluffy fur — favors Wyoming’s grasslands and forests. See them trot in Yellowstone National Park’s Hayden and Pelican valleys, and around Canyon Village. Grand Teton National Park’s Teton Science School, Flagg Ranch and Colter Bay Village areas are other popular spots for sighting them. WILD HORSE Wild horse herds, descendants of Spanish equines, roam Wyoming’s open landscape, primarily in the state’s southwest corner. See this majestic symbol of the West in the Pryor Mountains, near Lovell, around Rock Springs, and in Lander’s Wind River Wild Horse Sanctuary.
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