LOS FRESNOS — The expedition, as it were, was about to embark on a trip to the deepest reaches of the wildest area in the Lower Valley — Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge.
Since the refuge closed its 15-mile Bayside Wildlife Drive to vehicles four years ago in order to protect endangered ocelots, the only way to access the interior of the refuge has been either by bicycle, on foot or via the tram.
On this day, it’s the tram.
The refuge is a landscape consisting of coastal prairie, Tamaulipan thorn scrub, sand and clay dunes, and tidal flats set within thousands of acres of wetlands bordering the lower Laguna Madre, one of five hypersaline lagoons in the world.
Those distinct ecosystems, and in particular the edges where they meet, are the reasons for the rich wildlife viewing available to tram riders.
Riders can see white-tailed deer and nilgai antelope (common), the rare aplomado falcon (almost always), an ocelot (practically never) and even a mountain lion (yes, this month).
A more complete version of this story is available on www.myBrownsvilleHerald.com