Daily Postcard: A bobcat is spotted strolling through the Valles Caldera National Preserve (VCNP), which is home to a variety of wildlife including prairie dogs, coyotes, badgers, black bears, eastern mountain bluebirds and golden eagles. The VCNP also has the second largest elk population in New Mexico. Roughly 7,000 elk live in the Jemez Mountains with an estimated 2,000 to 2,500 in the VCNP, according to the state game and fish department. Early morning and evening hours are when animals tend to be feeding and thus are more easily seen in the VCNP. But the number and variety of animals one sees is largely a matter of luck and coincidence. Wild animals, especially females with young, are unpredictable and dangerous. Visitors should always keep a safe distance from all wildlife and use roadside pullouts and binoculars or telephoto camera lenses for safe viewing and to avoid disturbing wildlife. Source: VCNP. Courtesy/VCNP