Ozark Plateau National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Oklahoma was established to protect endangered bats and the cave habitats essential to their survival. Originally called the Oklahoma Bat Caves National Wildlife Refuge, it includes several separate parcels with caves regarded as crucial for these animals. The refuge centers on fragile cave and surrounding forest ecosystems that support the Ozark big-eared bat, gray bat, Indiana bat, and the Ozark cavefish. Because these habitats are highly sensitive, the area is closed to the general public and is managed primarily for conservation rather than recreation.