• Approximately 1,500 black bears live in the national park.

    Great Smoky Mountains

    National Park NC,TN

Wildlife: June-July, 2009

Issue 4 > Resource Roundup > Wildlife
 
Tomatoes.

Tomatoes grow big and red if elk don't eat them.

USDA photo.

“Critter Gitters”

Elk are notorious nibblers of veggies and flowers. In response to elk devouring the planted garden at the Mountain Farm Museum, rangers at Oconoluftee Visitor Center and wildlife managers agreed to set a motion-activated alarm from 7:30 at night to 7:00 each morning. Visitors should be aware of the alarm, because they could set it off if they walk in the alarmed areas at night (or if they try to munch on some fresh tomatoes in the garden).

Return to Resource Roundup: June-July, 2009.

Did You Know?

The park is named for the misty clouds that hang over the mountains.

The wispy, smoke-like fog that hangs over the Smoky Mountains comes from rain and evaporation from trees. On the high peaks of the Smokies, an average of 85 inches of rain falls each year, qualifying these upper elevation areas as temperate rain forests.