J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge is a protected coastal preserve on Sanibel Island in the Gulf of Mexico, established in 1945 to safeguard one of the nation’s largest undeveloped mangrove ecosystems. Covering 5,200 acres, it is noted for migratory birds and birdwatching, while also sheltering raccoons, bobcats, river otters, alligators, and marsh rabbits. Named for cartoonist Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling, it includes a large northern section within the J.N. Ding Darling Wilderness, created in 1976. As the central unit of a larger refuge complex, it has also faced mounting environmental strain from Hurricane Charley, sea level rise, warming temperatures, and changing mangrove salinity and freshwater flow.