Wildlife is abundant at Jewel Cave National Monument. Most live in the forest and open meadows of the surface but some also live in the cave itself. Over 1,000 bats hibernate in Jewel Cave during the winter and some stay into the summer.
Many packrats also make the cave their year-round home. They can sometimes be seen on the Lantern Tour. On the surface, you can see herds of white-tailed deer, mule deer, rabbits, red squirrels and birds.