Trail Cams—Protecting Habitats

Each year, many people partake in summer park events, including campfire talks and guided hikes. This summer, we'll be talking about the trail cams and some great captures, including this beautiful mountain lion.

Some folks will almost certainly reconsider that long hike after seeing the footage. Fortunately, animals will smell you before they hear or see you, and avoid you. Mountain lions will change track when hearing human voices.

Annual trail cam data provides important information for helping wildlife live freely, in a healthy and resilient ecosystem. Humans play a big part in monitoring population numbers, protecting biodiversity, and studying migration patterns and behaviors. Climate change impacts animal migration.

Four Wildlife Tips for (Daylight) Hikers 🦌🦊🦝🐿️

1. Observe wildlife without disturbing it. If an animal changes its behavior because of your presence, it means you are too close.
   
2. The best times for viewing wildlife are generally first thing in the morning and late afternoon/early evening.
   
3. Never feed animals or leave behind food scraps. The repercussions are all negative.
   
4. The biggest disturbance to wildlife in our park is dogs. Use the designated dog-friendly trails.