Discover the extraordinary array of animal life that thrives in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, from its famous black bears to tiny, unique amphibians.
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A Living Library in the Mist
This series, Critters of the Coves, explores the wildlife of Great Smoky Mountains National Park — the salamanders, bears, elk, and countless lesser-known creatures that…
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1
Fifteen Hundred Bears Call This Home
Roughly 1,500 American black bears roam these mountains, making the Smokies one of the densest bear populations anywhere in the eastern United States — about two bears…
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2
Breathing Through Skin in the Smokies
More than thirty species of salamander live within this single national park, earning it the title Salamander Capital of the World.
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3
Elk Return to the Smoky Mountains
The last elk in this region was killed in the mid-1800s, hunted out of existence across the entire southern Appalachians.
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4
Two Hundred Species in These Peaks
More than two hundred bird species have been documented in the Great Smoky Mountains, making it one of the most important birding destinations in eastern North America.
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5
Fireflies That Flash in Perfect Unison
For about two weeks each June, thousands of fireflies in these mountains do something no other species in North America can — they flash in complete synchrony.
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