Badlands National Park wildlife is in a class of its own. Bison, bighorn sheep and the endangered black-footed ferret draw people from all over the world to visit the park. On this episode of Podcasts with Park Rangers, we speak with a wildlife biologist to take a peek into what it takes to manage the animal population. It’s a lot more than we could ever imagine!
 
Show Notes found at: https://www.virtualkamper.com/pwpr13/
Help keep the show on the road: https://www.patreon.com/virtualkamper/

 

Related Podcasts & Articles
 

* Plan Your Trip: The Best Day Hikes at Badlands National Park
* Badlands NP: Paleontology and Visitor Fossil Discoveries – Episode 12
* Badlands NP: Growing Up in the National Parks – Episode 14

Podcast Resources:

* NPS: Bighorn Sheep
* Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep in Badlands National Park
* Wikipedia: Bighorn Sheep

Topics Covered

* About Ranger Eddie Childers
* What Do Park Biologists Do?
* American Bison Centennial Challenge Project
* Redistributing Bison When the Population Is Too Large
* Bighorn Sheep in the Badlands
* Pasteurella and Bighorn Sheep Health
* Black-Footed Ferret
* Why Manage the Animal Populations?
* Other Animal Populations
* Ranger Eddie’s Love for the Badlands and the NPS
* Volunteer.gov
* Thanks to Our Listeners – Let’s Connect More!

About Ranger Eddie Childers
Ranger Eddie loves to hunt, fish and hike. From a young age he tried to figure out how to weave his hobbies into a career, and being a park ranger was the perfect fit.
He’s been a wildlife biologist with the Park Service for 28 years and specifically at the Badlands since 1999. In addition to working with the Park Service, he’s also worked in the Soil Conservation Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service using a Masters Degree in Biology.
What Do Park Biologists Do?
Ranger Eddie oversees all the Badlands National Park wildlife and vegetation ecology programs. And, he’s the NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) and Wilderness Coordinator — coordinating the legal side of any projects in the park to ensure they align with federal guidelines.
The job is quite broad and includes dealing with several animals:

* Black-Footed Ferrets – the most endangered land mammal in North America
* Bison – the second largest herd in the USA behind Yellowstone
* Bighorn Sheep – one of the healthiest populations in the USA

He also coordinates grants and private funds for research projects in Badlands National Park done...