Nature is wild, but this photo takes things a little far. We had to do a double take at these two parakeet auklets standing next to each other on St. Paul Island in Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. Small seabirds found only in the North Pacific, parakeet auklets are social birds, gathering in large colonies that ring out with their rhythmic calls and quavering squeals. Chicks are hatched in May and June, so the volume is only increasing now. Photo by Houston Flores, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge sits on one of the most remote coral atolls on Earth. While it only has about 40 human residents, during breeding season, over a million Laysan albatrosses settle on the atoll’s three islands. Monogamous couples of Laysan albatrosses share egg tending and chick feeding duties, including Wisdom, the oldest known wild bird in the world. Every square foot of land is occupied by a bird, and the air is full of the sound and the smell of them. It’s quite a scene. Photo by Susan Middleton, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Wanna go to brunch? How about thirdmeal? Let’s grab a snack! This time of year, brown bears are going into a process called hyperphagia – an overwhelming urge to eat as much as possible to prepare for winter and hibernation. The bears that pack on the most pounds are the bears most likely to survive the dark, cold months ahead. So when you look at this picture of a bear at Katmai National Park & Preserve in Alaska, remember that a fat bear is a healthy bear. Photo by National Park Service.

Happy Labor Day! Thanks to all of the hard workers, especially our Interior employees, who make our country the amazing place it is. We hope you find a special place to relax and get some rest – like this manatee at Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Photo courtesy of David Schrichte.

What do you call a moose with no name?
Anonymoose 😂😂

It seems like this moose at Grand Teton National Park loves to laugh. Pic by C. Adams, National Park Service.

When living on the North Dakota ranch that would one day be a national park named after him, Theodore Roosevelt observed huge towns of prairie dogs. He said, “Prairie-dogs are abundant, and are the most noisy and inquisitive animals imaginable. They are never found singly, but always in towns of several hundred inhabitants.” This one looks like it could use a little time alone. Photo at Theodore Roosevelt National Park by Jeri Goldstein, National Park Service.

Don’t call it a bunny. This is a black-tailed jackrabbit at Hopper Mountain and Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuges in California. Common across the western U.S., they’re known for their short black tails, powerful back legs and really long ears. This one does not look amused at your April Fools prank. Photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Does this look like your normal morning meeting? It seems like these Steller sea lions at the Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex have a lot to talk about. Maybe they’re discussing the quality of the fish they’re hunting or the immense size (11 feet long and 2,500 pounds) of the largest males. Each one seems to have an opinion. Which Steller sea lion are you? Photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Energetic carnivores, long-tailed weasels spend most of the daylight hours scouring grasslands, pastures and saltmarsh for prey. Their slender heads and bodies allow them to enter burrows in search of mice, voles, snakes and large insects. The sharp teeth, keen eyesight and scrappy character of long-tailed weasels make them highly skilled predators, able to catch animals bigger than themselves. In mid-summer, whole families of weasels may be seen as males and females teach their young to hunt. Photo from Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge in Wyoming by Tom Koerner, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Highly intelligent and resourceful, raccoons are one of the most widespread mammals in North America. They have adapted to live in forests, mountain areas, coastal marshes and even urban centers. In Native American legends, they are known as tricksters and mischief-makers. Their characteristic masks and dexterous paws make them seem cute and approachable, but never forget that they are wild animals. Photo by Gary Miller, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.