Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge

A tad over 90 miles southwest from us is Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. I love our National Wildlife Refuges, but that's another Blog. BANWR is 118,000 acres of grasslands flanked by mountains. It is home to 325 bird species, 53 reptile and amphibian species, and 58 mammal species. BANWR is probably best known for its endangered Masked Bobwhite. Also present and endangered are the Sonoran Pronghorn,  the Cactus Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, the Lesser Long-Nosed Bat, the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, and the Chiricahua Leopard Frog.  There has been evidence -- though no photos of Jaguars on the Refuge as well.

Let's start with the Sonoran Pronghorn. I would guess two out of every three visits I can find the Sonoran Pronghorn. They are usually found in herds of six or more. They are very leery of humans so are difficult to get close to. Their eyes are high on their head and in a word: huge. They can detect movement from 4 miles away. They are the second fastest land mammal in the world. Second only to the Cheetah. However, they can sustain their speed longer than the Cheetah. Unlike deer they are unable to jump. So they go "under" fences instead of over them. In areas with high populations of the more common Pronghorn, such as Wyoming, there are efforts in place to have ranchers remove the barbs on the lowermost wire to reduce the damage to Pronghorns. 

Here are three of my favorite Sonoran Pronghorn photos from BANWR.