Smoky Mountain National Park Home to Almost Half of All Species Living on Entire Continent

Monday March 01, 2004

TOWNSEND, Tenn. -- Just about half of the plant and animal species living in North America reside in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. More than 70,000 plant and animal species thrive in the 500,000-plus acres of forest in the park. "If park visitors come to see wildlife, Cades Cove is the place to go," said Bill Stiver, wildlife biologist. "You’re pretty much guaranteed to see deer and a variety of bird species in the park." Bears, deer, birds and snakes, to name a few, are highlights of excursions into the park wilderness, which is home to 60 native mammal species and more than 200 species of birds. The park’s diversity of plant and wildlife is attributed to the mountains. Because of the range of elevation and slope exposures over a small distance, changes in altitude, temperature and moisture create entirely different ecosystems. "We want people to enjoy themselves while they’re here," Stiver said. "But they need to understand that we’re managing this area as a natural, wilderness area, and therefore we want our wild animals to behave as wild, natural animals, not roadside zoo animals." Education is important when it comes to understanding and enjoying wildlife. "If you educate people to have respect for animals, they’re not as likely to injure the animals," said Marcella Cranford, DVM, and educator with the University of Tennessee vet school. "If you’ve been given any directions by the park service, listen to it and do what they say. People fear and hate what they don’t understand." New visitors to the park often ask about poisonous snakes and bear attacks. According to Stiver, there are only two poisonous snakes in the park, copperheads and rattlesnakes. About 95 percent of the bears in the park are wild and their primary diet consists of acorns, as do most of the wildlife in the park. "When bears encounter people, they run," Stiver said. "And that’s what they’re supposed to do . . . Their natural enemy is man. We tell people to keep their distance. If the bear has the opportunity to get away, it’s going to take that avenue rather than come after you." If a bear won’t leave you alone, Stiver suggests defending yourself and making loud noises. Throwing rocks at the feet of a bear to startle it is another recommendation. "If you are being attacked by a black bear, you’re not supposed to play dead. You’re supposed to fight back with all your might to get that bear off you, unlike grizzly bears." It’s also important for people to remember the old rule: Don’t feed the bears. And, don’t leave food lying around where bears can easily get to it, during the day or night. "The big message we try to drive home to people is responsible food and garbage storage," Stiver said. Although, copperheads and rattlesnakes inhabit the park, Cranford insists visitors are not to worry. "Snakes are not very aggressive," said Cranford. "They’re the world’s greatest mouse traps. Mice and rats carry disease for humans -- snakes are the good guys." Probably the most striking and attractive animal in the park is the deer, a favorite of many visitors. "Deer are so visible in the Cove," Stiver said. "You can take your family and count deer there." Another message for visitors: leave baby animals alone. "In May and June, we have a terrible problem with people picking up fawns, thinking they’re orphaned. It’s not uncommon for a doe to leave her fawn," Stiver continued. "She may go off somewhere to feed and come back to it later. We need to leave wildlife alone and let wildlife take care of itself." There are several endangered species that live in the park, including Peregrine falcons, red wolves and Northern flying squirrels. "Last year we had the first nesting pair of Peregrine falcons in the state of Tennessee in 50 years," Stiver said. "People are also really excited when they see a red wolf. There are so few, we only have about 10." The park is hoping to become the home once again to a past inhabitant. "Now we’re moving toward the possibility of releasing elk back into the park," Stiver said. "They were eliminated from the park 200 to 300 years ago." A question about the Smokes still lingers. "We have people who swear up and down that there are mountain lions here," Stiver said. "We get mountain lion reports every year. All I can tell you is that we have never had any physical evidence supporting the fact that mountain lions are here. We investigate the sightings as quickly as possible, and never have found a track or any evidence of a mountain lion." Townsend is located at the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in East Tennessee. For more information about the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, please call the Visitors Center at 1-800-525-6834 or (865) 448-6134, or visit the center online at http://chamber.blount.tn.us/smokymvb.

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