Sequoia Wildlife
Sequoia: Where Wild Things Are
From birds to bears, Sequoia is home to over 300 different kinds of animals. Find a place in Giant Forest to sit down and be still for a moment, and you will be amazed at how many creatures you will see and hear!
Sequoia National Park's extreme elevation change - from 1,500 to 14,494 feet - creates a rich diversity of habitats and wildlife. With some 300 species and hundreds of thousands of animals, Sequoia is definitely where the wild things are.
Seeing Sequoia wildlife is a snap. Binoculars are great tools to help you get closer to many of the shy creatures of the forest. Cameras, too. Just remember to give these wild and beautiful creatures enough room to roam as you observe them from safe distances.
Black bears thrive here. Despite their name, black bears can be brown, cinnamon, or blonde. Black bears are not usually aggressive, and often escape danger by climbing a tree. But some bears learn to associate people with food, and may lose their instinctive fear of humans. This begins a cycle of unnatural behavior that is dangerous to both bears and humans. The familiar wilderness axiom applies: please don't feed the animals!
A great way to learn more about black bears and Sequoia National Park wildlife is at the Lodgepole Visitor Center Along with exhibits on the area's geologic history, wildlife, and longtime American Indian inhabitants, the center screens an outstanding 22-minute film about bears.
Here are some of the animals that call Sequoia National Park home:
- Coyotes
- Black bears
- Deer
- Wolverines
- Frogs
- Mountain lions
- Fox
- Birds
- Badgers
- Sheep
- Opossums
- Beavers
- Muskrats
- Snakes
- Turtles
- Fish
