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Do
not feed
the animals! Wild animals become unhealthy from eating human food
and grow dependent on it as a food source. Often animals that are fed
become nuisances and must be destroyed. It is also against the law to feed
any wild animal.
•Additionally,
feeding wildlife is dangerous. Small rodents can and will bite the hand
that feeds them, transmitting a variety of diseases. Larger animals, such
as deer, have been known to buck or kick suddenly and cause serious
injuries.
•If
you are watching an animal and it notices you, or changes its behavior
because of your activities, you are too close. Rather than attempting to
get that perfect photograph or get just one step closer, please step back
and enjoy your wildlife experience from a safe distance.
•Mother
deer sometimes leave their fawns alone for short periods of time as they
feed. As young fawns have no scent, they are safe from predators. If you
observe a fawn by itself, it has probably not been abandoned. Leave the
fawn alone, do not feed it, do not pet it, and do not try and catch it;
its mother will return.
There are many mammals in Zion, especially of the
small variety. Many larger mammals also are present:
Coyote - Canis latrans:
- Fairly common, parkwide.
Gray Wolf - Canis lupus: Extirpated
Kit Fox - Vulpes velox: Rare,
lower elevations.
Red Fox - Vulpes vulpes: Rare,
parkwide.
Common Gray Fox -Urocyon
cinereo-argenteus: Fairly common, lower elevations
Black Bear - Ursus americanus:
Rare migrant, high country.
Grizzly Bear - Ursus arctos: Extirpated
Ringtail - Bassariscus astutus:
Common, parkwide.
Ermine - Mustela erminea:
Uncommon, high elevations.
Raccoon - Procyon lotor:
Uncommon, lower elevations.
Long-tailed Weasel - Mustela
frenata: Uncommon, parkwide.
American Badger - Taxidea taxus:
rare, parkwide.
Western Spotted Skunk - Spilogale
gracilis: Uncommon, rocky, low areas.
Striped Skunk - Mephitis mephitis: Common, parkwide.
Mountain Lion - Felis concolor: Fairly common, parkwide.
Bobcat - Lynx rufus: Uncommon, parkwide.
Elk - Cervus elaphus: Uncommon, higher elevations.
Mule Deer - Odocoileus hemionus: Common, parkwide.
Desert Bighorn - Ovis canadensis nelsoni: Extirpated, reintroduced,
uncommon
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