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Search for Human-Habituated Grizzlies in Glacier National Park Ends With Two Dead Bears

A grizzly sow that had come to view humans as a source of food in Glacier National Park has been killed by rangers, who also accidentally killed one of her yearling cubs when they tried to tranquilize it. The killings Monday brought to a close a long-running effort by park rangers to get the sow and her two cubs to rely on their natural food sources and to avoid backcountry travelers.

Climate Change and National Parks: A Survival Guide for a Warming World -- Bighorn Sheep in the Southwest

Canyonlands National Park is one of the most rugged national parks, with a harsh summer sun that bakes the dry, canyon-riddled landscape. But those deep canyons’ steep rocky slopes, which offer ample grasses and shrubs, and an openness that puts predators at a disadvantage, are an optimal environment for bighorn sheep. In fact, Canyonlands’ bighorn population has been so stable that Utah’s wildlife biologists long relied on it for stock to re-establish herds elsewhere in the state.

Sound Advice For Backcountry Travelers in the National Parks

One of my favorite writers is Nicholas D. Kristof, a columnist for the New York Times. He has an incredibly deft ability for crafting an article both informative and entertaining in a surprisingly few number of paragraphs. The other day he wrote on the joys and wonders of hiking in the backcountry, and he made some points well worth sharing.

Climate Change and National Parks: A Survival Guide for a Warming World -- Northern Flying Squirrel and other Threatened Mammals

The climate is not static. Ice ages come and go, pushing rivers of ice south and then pulling them back north across continents as temperatures and snowfalls rise and fall. Animal and plant species either stay ahead of these icy incursions and adapt, or perish.

Update: Tropical Storm Claudette Arrived at Gulf Islands National Seashore on Short Notice, But the Park Service Was Ready

Tropical Storm Claudette strengthened with surprising speed before making landfall in the Florida Panhandle, but the Park Service was ready to protect Gulf Island National Seashore visitors on very short notice. With Bill and Ana gathering strength over warm tropical waters, more powerful storms could soon arrive.

Traveler's Checklist: Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park

Touring a Civil War battlefield can be both a somber experience and one that opens doors into incredible history, one that gives you a better appreciation for the growing pains the United States experienced in the past. At Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, four battlefields await your visit.