Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center

We woke this morning to rain.  It came in waves alternating between heavy downpours followed by light, gentle rain.  Folks who live here said they have not had any rain to amount to much for a while so this rain is welcomed to them, not so much for us.  Early afternoon, there was a break and we decided to head out and visit the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center in town West Yellowstone.  It is a not-for-profit wildlife park where they not only rescue injured or abandoned animals but also conduct scientific studies about the various animals. In addition to bears and wolves, they also have raptors, otters and ground squirrels.  It was an interesting hour or so looking at the animals in their various habitats and learning a bit about the environment where they live.  Here are a few pictures to tell the tale.

This fella greeted us as we walked into the lobby area.  It gives you an idea of just how large Grizzly bears can be.  Elk is one of their favorite meals although they are more likely to take down a juvenile than an adult.

These little fellas are Ground Squirrels or Pickett Pins.  Our friends that live in Colorado during the summer months constantly battle with them.  They love to burrow below her flowers and eat the roots.  After all her work planting, she does not appreciate their need for food!

Pests or not, they are still cute little buggers.

The wolves were very elusive and hard to capture in a photo. This is a photo of the alpha female in the group.  They are not as large as the Alaskan Timber Wolf but they are just as dangerous.

There were only two bears at the facility at this time.  They were siblings who were rescued when their mother was killed.  They were both digging for food although we could not see exactly what.

Since these bears were rescued, they only life they know is with humans.  As a consequence, they can never be released into the wild.  In any case, they will be helpful to those who are studying Bear behavior.