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National parks are publicly-owned reserves of significant size which aim to attract tourists with their environment and scenery. They are owned by national governments and have a role in the conservation of animals and plants, although some allow hunters and others are not protected against poachers. Also, for a long time carnivores were eradicated in many national parks to protect herbivores.
The first national park in the world was Yellowstone National Park in the United States, which was formed by the US Government during the 1870s to conserve the areas natural environment. The National Park Service was established in 1916 to manage it and other parks, which have now become popular tourist attractions with walking tracks and accommodation. There are in excess of 3000 national parks currently around the world.
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