Just a block from the West entrance of Yellowstone National Park, the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center is worth a stop. And you might find you’ll want to stay a while and even come back the next day. And that’s okay because the admission fee (just $13 for adults, $8 for kids 5 years and up) is good for 2 consecutive days.
The not-for-profit wildlife center takes in orphaned grizzly bear cubs and adults from as far away as Alaska and as close by as Yellowstone Park. Most adult grizzlies are those that have become habituated to human food due to campers and hikers not following proper food storage requirements. At the outdoor exhibit, you can watch the beautiful, massive beasts foraging under rocks and logs for the fruit treats that the caretaker hides for them. In order to rescue more bears and provide habitat variety for the existing bears, the center will be creating a new exhibit called bear meadows that will feature mini river rapids and a trout-stocked pond. Note, because they are fed all year round, the bears don’t hibernate so you can see them all year round. And any day you want because the center is open every day.
The outdoor wolf exhibit and information about the trophic cascade was well done too.
There’s also an extensive, interactive bear exhibit inside and plenty of programs for kids and adults, including:
- Bear-Resistant Product Testing (I would have liked to see that one.)
- Keeper Kids (Kids get to help the caretakers hide food for the bears.)
- Yellowstone Park Ranger Talks
- Live Bird of Prey Presentations (A must! The naturalist delivers an engaging, incredibly informative, hands-on presentation.)
In the works is a River Otter Riparian Habitat that will highlight the interrelations of the critters who make up that ecosystem.
Young or old, you won’t leave the center without learning something new about the wild animals and birds of the region and the impact humans have on them and their habitat.
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