The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-09-22
Antelope Fast Disappearing
 In Parks

Yellowstone Park, Wyo., Sept. 22.- The American antelope, or prong horn, as he is more accurately called, is making a precarious stand against extinction in Yellowstone National Park, and efforts are being launched to have this real American" animal to the great West
 It is established that there are not more than 5000 antelope in the Uni- ted States altogether, including about $50 within the confines of Yellowstone Park.
 One of the largest of the herds that remain scattered through the West a remnant of the vast numbers that once grazed over all the country be- tween the Mississippi River and the Pacific Coast-has for forty years or more had refuge in Yellwostone Park, but a recent census of the antelope bands here shows that they are barely holding their own against adverse con- ditions, and 1t Is feared that, unless extensive and intensive measures are quickly taken for their preservation. this disactive, prettily colored repre- American wild life will be seen only as a stuffed and mounted specimen in natural history museums.
 Herds Decreasing.
 A careful count of the antelope bands on their various summer ranges in Yellowstone Park showed this sum- mer total of $50 head. while there were estimated to be 2,0o0 in the park nIlSon years ago. MuCn or the COun- try in the valley of the Yellowstone north of the park, lying in lower alti- tudes, was available for winter range in 1908 and 1909, but is now occu- pied by human settlers, resulting in many of the animals dying off from starvation.
 Last winter nearly a third of the Yellowstone Park herds were lost as result of heavy snows and the de- predations of coyotes, wolves and mountains lions. Most of this loss, however, it appears from the recent census, was made up by the birth of new kids, but each winter present the risk of antelope eXtermination. 1 The possible winter range for the Yellowstone antelope at present is scant 5000 acres, and this area he
 must share with the deer, elk and other grazing animals, for which some cut forage is also provided,
 The necessary provision for the preservation of the antelope would be
 the establishment of an extensive win ter range at a lower altitude outside | the park. At present if any of the antelope bands. escaping the vigilance l of the park rangers make their way
 during winter down to lower country | outside the park they are listed as
 lost" for sooner or later, in spite l of protective laws, they are certain to
 fall prey to the hunters rifle or to predatory animals.
 | Predatory Enemies.
 Within the park a constant warfare
 is conducted against the antelope's 8
 natural enemies. but coyotes are nu-
 merous, and bands of wolves are not
 rare. 1 Even in the summer the antelope
 leads a somewhat precarious exis-
 tence. While he Is safer from the
 predatory animals, owing to the ab-
 sence of deep snow and to the abun-
 dance of game less fleet of foot, he
 suffers firm the increasing invasion of his haunts by the summer tourists. The antelope is one of the most ner-
 vous of animals, as well as one most
 given to curiosity, and the presence of
 horseback and camping parties in his
 grazing districts keeps him so much
 on the qui vive that his domestic life" and breeding are interfered with.
 As the park naturalist puts it. the
 antelope is so typically American that
 he would be inclined to worry him.
 self to death'' if there were no other cause tending toward his extermina- tion. Regulation of the summer men, ace can probably tie effected by with drawa1 of large part of the sum- mer range tourist use. which the park authorities will attempt next season.