NPS Photo

Black-footed Ferret

A New Outlook

By the 1960’s, American attitudes towards wildlife and natural areas began to change. New methods of controlling populations of large mammals came into use. Managers of national parks began to focus on the parks as a whole, and began to manage to include all native forms of animal and plant life.

NPS Photo

Badger

Changing Our Ways

Predators are viewed as an important part of the natural system and programs to eliminate them stopped. Biologists around the country began to re-establish predator populations in wild areas.

NPS Photo

Dr. Hoogland Researching Prairie Dogs

Pests Exposed

Researchers began investigating the intricate connections of the small mammals and the ecosystems. In the 1970’s Dr. John Hoogland began a project to understand prairie dogs in Wind Cave National Park. He found that these animals, once considered varmints, are actually keystone species in the prairie ecosystem. Today, the prairie dogs, black-footed ferrets, and many other animals that depend on the prairie are better understood. Their roles in the park ecosystems continue to be researched. Unlike past practices, animals are not labeled good or bad - their role in the park is carefully evaluated before control measures are taken.

NPS Photo

Roundup Using a Helicopter

Management

Today, the balance between herd size and plant communities is continually monitored. Excess bison and elk are rounded-up; tested for diseases; and, when possible, live shipped to Indian Reservations and other parks and refuges.