Area 17 km² Nearest city Colcord | Established 1986 | |
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Location Adair, Cherokee, Delaware, Ottawa counties, Oklahoma, United States Governing body U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Website Ozark Plateau National Wildlife Refuge Management United States Fish and Wildlife Service Similar Optima National Wildlife R, Washita National Wildlife R, Raymond Gary State Park, Cherokee Landing State Park, Sequoyah Bay State Park | ||
Originally known as the Oklahoma Bat Caves National Wildlife Refuge, Ozark Plateau National Wildlife Refuge was established for the protection of endangered bats and their habitat. The refuge is made up of several parcels of land located in northeastern Oklahoma. These parcels contain numerous caves considered crucial for the bats' survival.
The endangered cave species include the Ozark big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii ingens), gray bat (Myotis grisescens), Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis), and Ozark cavefish (Amblyopsis rosae)
To protect the fragile habitats provided by the caves and the forests surrounding them, this refuge is currently closed to the general public.
References
Ozark Plateau National Wildlife Refuge Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA