Glacier National Park is home to 71 species of mammals, ranging from the tiny pygmy shrew, about the weight of a dime, to large majestic species like elk, which weigh upwards of 500 pounds. What's unique about Glacier's ecosystem is it is intact and relatively undisturbed. This is due to two things: 1.) the park was designated early, in 1910, giving wildlife over a century of protection; and 2.) space. Not only is the park large—over a million acres—but the surrounding national forests, Wilderness Areas, and Canadian protected lands ensure that wide-ranging animals such as grizzlies and wolverines have plenty of room to roam.