114] Animals in the Wila 



its yowls are all too familiar to campers in northern regions and 

 visitors to some of the national parks who are trying to doze off 

 to sleep. Though its call sounds terrifying, the lynx usually seeks 

 no larger game than the hare or smaller rodents. On rare occasions 

 a lynx may leap from a tree branch or ledge to kill a deer or an 

 antelope. 



Bobcats, unlike lynxes, are not confined to the North. Bobcat 

 trails may be seen in Arizona deserts or on Canadian snow- 

 covered plains. "Fighting like a wildcat" suggests the most vicious 

 kind of battle but, like the lynx, bobcats usually prey only on 

 rabbits, other small rodents, and ground-nesting birds. 



DEER APPEALING CREATURES 



Thanks to the classic story of Bambi, many children take a 

 sympathetic interest in the white-tailed deer. The young deer, 

 or fawn, makes an interesting contrast with some other mammal 

 babies, such as the blind and helpless bear cubs. As infants, deer 

 are weak and wobbly, but they can see immediately and before 

 long they are anxious to explore their surroundings. The mother, 

 or doe, scolds them, warning against such activity; if necessary, 

 she bunts them on the head to make them stay put. 



A fawn's spotted coat blends effectively with its surroundings. 

 This enables it to protect itself by merely lying still and relying 

 on camouflage. Once the mother has taught this lesson to her 

 fawns, she can leave to seek food; but she returns several times a 

 day to nurse them. If an enemy is nearby, she will deliberately 

 attract attention to herself to save the fawns. 



The Buck's Antlers: The father of the deer family, the buck, is a 

 handsome, impressive animal. The buck's crowning glory, his 

 antlers, are shed every year, and he proceeds to grow a new pair. 

 Considering the thousands of antlers discarded every year, your 

 child might well expect the woods to be carpeted with them. Some 

 antlers are found, to be sure; but many are eaten by porcupines, 

 mice, and rabbits for their mineral content, while others dis- 

 integrate after sufficient weathering. 



