32 



Sierra Club Bulletin. 



WILD ANIMALS OF THE MT. RAINIER 

 NATIONAL PARK * 



By Alden Sampson. 



The presence of wild animals greatly adds to the 

 pleasure of those who visit the Mt. Rainier National 

 Park. Fortunately, it is not yet too late to preserve this 

 feature of interest; in the future it may be made a still 

 greater source of delight. White goats {mazamas) are 

 found in abundance high up among the ice and snow on 

 rocky ridges, and during the heat of the day on the 

 glaciers, where, after feeding, they seek asylum from 

 their enemies. Here the breeze is always fresh and agree- 

 able ; by its aid they are rid of the pest of flies which at 

 a lower altitude are an intense annoyance. 



During the ascent of Mt. Rainier made by the Sierra 

 Club we were so fortunate as to see about fifteen goats 

 at some little distance across the ice, on the ridges above 

 the Nisqually Glacier, and previous to this members of 

 the party at various times had secured photographs of 

 these interesting animals at close range. When stalked 

 from above, it is not difficult to approach close enough to 

 them for the purposes of photography, as they range high 

 up on the mountain, and are but rarely disturbed by 

 human visitors. Their presence contributes much to the 

 interest of the upper reaches of the mountains, which 

 except for them would be almost without animal life. 



There are no elk on the flanks of Mt. Rainier. We 

 were told of the presence of a few still to be found in the 

 Tatoosh Range to the south, and on Goat Mountain, both 

 close to the southern limits of the park. The question of a 

 winter range for these animals, in case they were estab- 



* This article is part of the report of the Joint Committee on pages 44-50. 



