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Big Bend National ParkNow entering bear and mountain lion country
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Big Bend National Park
Animals
 
Studying and managing wildlife is seldom an easy task, but wildlife management along the border presents special challenges. Observing wildlife in the U.S. may tell only half the story, since many migratory birds, bats, and insects spend their winters deep in Mexico. Remoteness, inaccessible terrain, and a sometimes unstable political climate can make it difficult for wildlife researchers to gain information on wildlife along the border or far into the interior of Mexico. Problems can also arise when different countries have differing attitudes toward the same animal; one country may protect a certain species while another may want to eradicate it. Laws may protect wildlife and their habitat on this side of the Rio Grande while leaving them unprotected on the other side of the river
Mountain Lion Country!
Mountain Lions
Welcome to cougar country! Big Bend is home to one of the America's biggest predators.
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Mexican long-nosed bat  

Did You Know?
Big Bend has more species of bats (22) than any other national park. One of these, the Mexican long-nosed bat, is an endangered bat species, whose only known roosting site in the United States is in the Chisos Mountains.
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Last Updated: July 25, 2006 at 00:23 EST