UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge

Along the riverbanks, cottonwood trees flourish and are home to a wide diversity of wildlife. A large species population of red fox, bald eagle, bighorn sheep, golden eagle, black bear, great horned owl, moose, burrowing owl, coyote, elk, swift fox, bobcat, pronghorn, mule deer, and cougar inhabit this refuge. Prairie dogs are abundant and are the primary food source for the black-footed ferret, which is listed as an endangered species. The black-footed ferret has been reintroduced into the refuge in the 1990s after nearing extinction; the sustainability of this relocated species is not yet known, and there are only 1,000 remaining in breeding compounds and perhaps 100 in the wild. Researchers in 2002 were only able to locate a total of 5 ferrets in the entire refuge. A proposal for the reintroduction of bison was submitted in 2020. ==Access==

This refuge is remote, requiring travel by gravel and dirt roads that can be difficult to navigate during inclement weather. ==References==