Most wild animal mothers keep their young as far from civilization and danger as possible. In some cases, though they realize it's hardly necessary. In fact, quite the opposite. This Elk figured the safest place for her fawn was in the middle of the little town of Mammoth in Yellowstone National Park.
 |
| Elk and Fawn |
In most cases, however, mothers must rely on mother nature who has given the young some advantage. In the case of Pronghorn for example it is eyesight and speed. Young fawns learn to run almost at birth. They can detect movement from 4 miles away. And, Pronghorn can reach speeds of up to 70 miles an hour. They are the fastest land animal in North America. --- Although not faster than a speeding bullet. Pronghorn once roamed the west -- and in huge numbers. Now, their distribution is essentially Eastern Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. While their numbers are way down, there are reliable "pockets of opportunity" to view them. Western Wyoming is the exception. If you drive on US 191 through Western Wyoming you can't help but see pronghorn every couple of miles feeding on ranch lands.
 |
| Pronghorn Fawn |
No comments:
Post a Comment