Spring in Yellowstone National Park comes with a number of built-in wonders. In the Cody Yellowstone area of the park, the launch of spring is marked less with a calendar date than with the sighting of the season’s first bear cub. And that’s not all — baby bison, wolves, elk, moose, eagles and river otters are also experiencing their first days on Earth.

“Spring is traditionally a time of rebirth, and many wildlife species embrace that tradition literally,” said Ryan Hauck, executive director, Cody Yellowstone. “When the babies are spotted, word gets around fast, and the entire town seems to celebrate because it means that spring is coming.”

What that also means is visitors should be alert to adult wildlife behaving especially unpredictably as their instincts for protecting their young rise to the surface. Two of the park’s entrances are found in Cody — and with private vehicle access soon available at the East Entrance on May 6 and at the Northeast Entrance on May 11, National Park Service wildlife experts offer the following tips for safety and an enjoyable visit:

• Keep your distance. Guidelines advise staying a minimum of 100 yards from bears and wolves, and at least 25 yards from all other wildlife.

• Drive carefully and keep your binoculars at the ready. Not all the wildlife is inside the park. For instance, bighorn sheep lambs are likely to be seen along Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway, the 52-mile stretch of road leading to the East Gate of Yellowstone National Park.

• Make use of the pullouts. Stopping in the middle of the road for a social media photo isn’t safe. Multiple places to pull over can be found alongside roads inside and outside of the park.

• The best viewing times to observe wildlife (including those new babies) are early morning and dusk.

• Be prepared for bison jams. That’s right — like a traffic jam, but with huge bison instead of cars. These enormous creatures often use roadways instead of trekking through deep snow. If you’re caught in a jam, stay in your vehicle with your windows up, don’t attempt to touch the animals and be patient as they make their way alongside or in-between vehicles.

• Never feed the wildlife — that means no matter how cute or how much you’re tempted.

• Know your route. Stop in at Cody Visitor Center to pick up maps or have your park questions answered by a knowledgeable staff member.