Wildlife

Glacier National Park's diversity of habitat means the park can support a wide variety of animal life.

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Wildlife Details

Glacier National Park's diversity of habitat means the park can support a wide variety of animal life. The park is home to 71 species of mammals, ranging from tiny pygmy shrews to charismatic species like elk and grizzly bears. Glacier is, in fact, at the core of one of the last remaining grizzly bear populations in the lower 48 states, thought to be around 300 bears as of 2008. More frequently spotted than the bears are the snowy white mountain goats that also call the park home. The park also holds gray wolves, lynx, wolverines, and cougars, among other animals. What's unique about Glacier is the completeness of the list of animals here; only the woodland caribou and bison are missing. Two things are to thank for this. First, the park was designated early, in 1910, which gave wildlife unprecedented protection. The second reason is the sheer size of Glacier. The park itself is over a million acres, and the surrounding national forests, wilderness areas, and Canadian protected lands mean that wide-ranging animals such as grizzlies and wolverines have plenty of room. On average, one or two bear attacks occur every year in the park; since the creation of Glacier in 1910, there have been a total of 10 bear-related deaths. As for other animals, a total of 260 species of birds have been recorded, with raptors such as the bald eagle, golden eagle, peregrine falcon, osprey and several species of hawks living in Glacier year round. The only three recorded species of reptiles are two types of garter snakes and the western painted turtle; there are six documented species of amphibians. Glacier is also home to the endangered bull trout, which must be thrown back if it's caught inadvertently. A total of 23 species of fish live in park waters.

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