| Grizzly Discovery Center |
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The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone, Montana, is a home away from home to eight live grizzlies and a pack of gray wolves. This unique, not-for-profit facility’s “primary mission is to provide visitors to the Yellowstone area an opportunity to learn about, view and ultimately appreciate the grizzly bear and gray wolf.” It may also be a haven for bears and wolves otherwise doomed.
Although some of the grizzlies were orphaned, others were certifiable problem bears who had developed a taste for human foods. Either way, they were headed for death. The wolves, though, were born at other facilities, and could not, therefore, be released into the wild. So the center made room for them, too. And since both the grizzly and now the wolf are thriving inhabitants of the Yellowstone ecosystem, the center is the perfect place for visitors to meet up with them.
The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center (GWDC) is open 365 days a year, allowing visitors the opportunity to observe bears and wolves in every season. The center’s varied offerings appeal to patrons of all ages. Children, for example, love helping the staff hide food for the bears when the ursines are rotated out of one of the sections. The insight into proper food storage while in bear country is pretty obvious as the bears are released back into the section and sniff out the goods. And everyone benefits from the Safety in Bear Country demonstration, where a grizzly climbs a tree to get at improperly hung food. Bear history and behavior also come to life for those who stroll through the newly opened exhibit, “BEARS: Imagination and Reality.”
Staff presentations such as Live Birds-of-Prey and the Karelian Bear Dog reveal even more about Yellowstone animals and behavior. The Karelian Bear Dog demonstration, for example, will surprise many visitors, who are startled to learn that pepper spray and bullets aren’t the only deterrents to grizzly attacks. Exhibits and graphics also offer the more curious visitor additional in-depth and fresh insight into wildlife.
The greatest threat to grizzlies and wolves is the loss of desirable, life-sustaining habitat. Wilderness is not a renewable resource, and in order for humans and wildlife to coexist, humans must endeavor to know as much about the animals’ needs as they can, and minimize negative impacts on the animals. And both the grizzlies and the wolves constantly reveal lessons about themselves.
The wolves at GWDC are in a sense ambassadors, providing a greater understanding of these remarkable predators in the Yellowstone ecosystem. Wolf social structure is one of the most fascinating in the animal kingdom. Wolves possess a dynamic and strong “family” structure that can be observed at the center while these once nearly extinct animals go through their day—if visitors know what to look for. The center teaches viewers to watch these clever pack members for their body posturing, ear position, location in their habitat, and tail position. A naturalist is on hand to help visitors with interpretations and interactions. Early morning and evening visitors may even witness the pack as it howls majestically into the bracing and pure setting of Yellowstone.
A trip to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center is a must for the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park vacationer. Admission is good for two days, ensuring enough time to experience all that the center has to offer. For more information call 800-257-2570 or go online at grizzlydiscoveryctr.com.—GWDC
Copyright 2004 by FPI (Focus Productions, Inc)., P.O. Box 1930, Jackson, Wyoming 83001. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publishers.
Mountain Country is a free visitors’ guide published annually in May and distributed at hundreds of locations throughout Jackson Hole, Cody, and other regional communities. To receive a copy in the mail, send $5 to Mountain Country, P.O. Box 1930, Jackson, Wyoming 83001.
Publishers: Bob Woodall & Wade McKoy, dba Focus Productions, Inc. (FPI)
Editors: Mike Calabrese, Wade McKoy, Bob Woodall
Art Direction & Ad Design: Janet Melvin
Advertising Sales:
JACKSON: Ike Faust, 307-690-5908, 307-733-6995 email: mail.focus@wyom.net
DUBOIS & PINEDALE: Janet Melvin 307-733-6995
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