A male African lion. After taking several pictures of him from a distance we were finally rewarded with this close up shot of him walking up to the viewing platform.
This mature grizzly kept his eyes on us the whole time we stood watching him from the walk out.
This black bear loved his wooden post. He hugged it, rolled it, played with it, and even used it to scratch his back. All of the larger animals have big fresh water tanks, cool, comfortable ‘dens’ made with huge concrete culverts set into the ground so the bears can hibernate, or just get out of the hot sun to cool down. There are tire swings that hang from poles too, for them to play with.
A grey wolf, common to the northern territories of Canada and the U.S. The ‘greys’ were in a separate enclosure from the Artic wolves, as seen below.
The Artic wolf. We wondered if this one was the ‘Alpha.’ He seemed more dominate over the pack as we watched their behavior and movements.
This big grizzly was more intent on cleaning his paw. He paid no attention to his visitors.
Now to just get the other leg in, and he’s ready for a swim in the water tank on a hot day.
These two grizzlies find time for play, and a rough and tumble roll on the ground.
Afternoon nap. There were several in this group of lions that were sleeping, all piled up, one on top of another with legs spread out in every direction. The lions and bears are more lethargic in the earlier part of the day when hot, but get more active later in the afternoon towards feeding time.
My grandkids, Trevor and Alyssa at an entrance sign, “petting the tiger”.
So long, from all of us at the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, CO.
All of the animals above, and many more from other species are all rescued animals coming from abusive, neglected or abandonment situations. They are housed and kept in this beautiful 800+ acre compound preserve in Keenesburg, CO. They are fed on a regular rotating schedule, live in a protected environment, and get the best possible care with regular visits by a veterinarian. Many were rescued from circuses; abused, abandoned or neglected. Others were rescued from people who got the animals as pets when very young and could not properly care for them, so gave them up. There are ostriches, lynx, mountain lions, and even camels on the site. This was our second trip out to the preserve. It is an awesome place to visit the animals in a more natural setting with all the comforts of ‘home.’ To view pictures of them and others there, read their stories, donate to their care, or learn more about them, you can find it here.
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Joyce E. Johnson (2016)
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It was the morning of July 5th, 2005. My husband, and I with our daughter, husband and children headed north out of Colorado towards Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. It was not my first trip to Yellowstone. I had gone on earlier trips there as a child and years later with our youngest girl.
The beautiful red mesas, buttes, and plateaus of Wyoming merged with the vistas of the serene Grand Teton Mountains as we entered Yellowstone. The sun disappeared as dusk settled over the mountains. We all watched for wildlife and enjoyed the scenic drive through steep terrain and thick forests.
Suddenly, my eyes caught sight of a beautiful animal standing still behind the brush. Too soon, it was gone from view. It looked like a gray wolf with its gray and white fur coat. Yet, from that distance I couldn’t be certain it was a wolf, or a coyote.
After checking into our cabins and getting a good night’s sleep, we got up early to go sight-seeing.
We headed first for the Norris geysers and Old Faithful. The strong sulfuric geysers smelled like burned hard-boiled eggs.
We stood, fascinated at the effect created by the boiling, bubbling pockets in the earth. Steam, heat and odor spewed forth from belching, gray puddles.
In the next three days, we explored the park, the sights of waterfalls, gorges, forests, lakes, rivers, went horseback riding, and hiked trails.
Amazed at the mammoth brown bodies and girth of the grazing bison, my grandson sat up on a mound of dirt in front of our cabins watching them intently. They watched him just as intently looking too dangerously close.
One morning we headed across the park to the east side towards Roosevelt Lodge for breakfast and stopped to photograph the lush, green pastures and landscape. That night we enjoyed an old-fashioned cowboy style cook out and wagon ride through sage brush, prairies and pastures. Wildlife of all kinds roamed freely about undaunted to our encroachment on their habitat.
On the way back down to Canyon Village that night sitting contentedly in a wet marsh just a ways further was a big male moose. Parking the SUV on the side of the road, we all jumped out. My excited husband was once again ready with the camcorder and ran down the road towards the marsh. The moose got up and sauntered out of the marsh, up into the hills all the while unaware that my husband had captured his essence on tape.
A trip to the wolf and grizzly bear game preserve on the northwest side of the park was another place we visited while on this trip. The preserve had several different species of bears, mountain lions, snakes and other game set back into a natural area where they were treated and cared for as if in a royal zoo.
It was 6:00 a.m. and our last morning there when we drove south, watching the wildlife grazing for food when we spotted it. There, coming towards us was a huge male grizzly bear off the side of the road. The sun was just coming up over the horizon. What an amazing sight to see this beautiful creature foraging for his early morning breakfast. The large humped back bear sniffed the air as if sensing our presence parked, about fifteen feet away, snapping pictures and taping his every move and turn.
“This way, over here. Now! That’s it. That’s good. Great! We got him.” My husband said as he was sticking halfway out through the sun roof aiming his camcorder. The bear stopped and stared back as if daring us to come closer. We had no way of predicting his movement or reaction to our being there. My son-in-law was prepared with his foot to the pedal if we needed to get away in a hurry.
Before leaving the park that day we had photographed and videotaped grizzly bears, black bears, a moose, elk, wolves, coyote, fox, otters, bald eagles, and bison.
We reluctantly headed south out of the park through the Grand Tetons, thankful and felt blessed to see what our country and national parks has preserved and maintained for over one hundred years.
Although a big fire in 1988 destroyed much of the park’s trees and forests, it has since revived itself with new growth, and regeneration. Old burnt down trees lay beside the new seedlings and saplings reminding us that nature can restore it and compensate for its loss. It is a vivid illustration of rebirth.
The bears, bison and wildlife still remain one of the biggest attractions for tourists. But, because of the confrontations and attacks by bison and bears the rules were changed to protect visitors to the park. They aren’t allowed to feed peanuts to the bears like we did when I was a child as we hung out of car windows to get a good picture of them, luring them ever closer with the peanuts.
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Joyce E. Johnson © 2015
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Bright and wild they grow
raising petals to the sun
dotting mountain sides
where game graze and run
through green fields of early dew
and nature thrives where abides
all things living, old and new.
It is a place where deer roam
the peaks on which the mountain stands;
Deercrest, a place we call, ‘home.’
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Footnotes: Deercrest is the name we gave our four-acre lot of mountain property located 32 miles northwest of Fort Collins, Colorado in a mountain resort community called Glacier View Meadows. We have had our property there for over twenty years now and though we live in Loveland this is our other ‘home’ where we love to get away, and enjoy the quiet and peaceful mountain air and rugged, natural environment.
Joyce E. Johnson (2014)
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