Abstract
From a vantage point on a rise above the Snake River, the valley below is shrouded in darkness. A faint glow on the eastern horizon heralds the dawn. The only sound comes from the river as water gurgles over rocks and other impediments. As the sky grows brighter, the shadows in the valley begin to take form, revealing numerous small streams that braid through dense thickets of willows and other shrubbery before returning to the main river channel. Small dark shapes dart among the trees and shrubs, filling the air with a variety of birdsongs. As the rising sun gradually illuminates the valley a herd of elk rise, one-by-one, in a distant meadow and begin grazing on the spring grasses. Moments later a cow moose and her calf emerge from behind the willows at the waterâs edge, scattering the birds. This area, with its mosaic of habitats, teems with wildlife. It is not surprising, then, that this upper part of Jackson Hole became the chosen site for the Jackson Hole Wildlife Park (JHWP) and became the Parkâs main animal viewing area for tourists and scientists alike.