January 2007
Out & About:
Winter Can Be the Best Time to Watch Animals
For most of us, cooler weather means heading inside and slowing down. For some animals, it means becoming more active. This year consider heading outside to local animal sanctuaries and zoos to watch the winter activity.
Wolf Haven International
Washington state has no resident wild gray wolf population, although there are about 600 gray wolves in central Idaho and 300 in Montana. One day, it is likely that wild packs will be found in the northeastern part of the state as their nomadic nature brings them back to Washington. Until then, they can be seen only in protected environments, most notably at Wolf Haven International in Tenino.
Open nearly 25 years, Wolf Haven is a sanctuary for wolves
that can no longer live in the wild or are captive born. The staff members
have rescued about 100 captive-born wolves in that time; currently, they
have 46 wolves on site. Educating people about wolves and helping with
worldwide conservation efforts are also parts of their mission.
Visitors learn much about these animals on the 45-minute guided tour through
this rural Thurston county setting. You see 14 wolves – both gray
wolves and the rare red wolves – in half-acre enclosures on the
tour. The others live off-tour in another part of the 80-acre site. They
live in companion pairs, not in packs as they do in the wild. Although
wolves are usually wary of people, these rescued animals are more accustomed
to humans and tolerate them. However, they are still wild animals and
visitors stay separated by a high fence.
While walking, the guide talks about common wolf behavior,
their part as predator and sometimes prey in the natural ecosystem, and
a bit about where each of these wolves lived before coming to the sanctuary.
The guide discusses how wolves form packs, what they eat, and why they
howl. (Hint – wolves howl to communicate with one another, and each
wolf has his own distinctive howl. They might howl to celebrate a birth
or to mourn a death or to let other animals know to stay out of their
territory. A pack howling together sounds like a big group and may scare
away other animals.)
Visitors find out about Wolf Haven’s efforts in recovery programs
throughout North America. In addition to wolves that will reside here
the rest of their lives, Wolf Haven houses wolves that are part of the
Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Program. It is considered a pre-release facility;
wolves are placed here for breeding and/or conditioning prior to release
in Arizona’s Apache National Forest. In addition, Wolf Haven has
recently been accepted into the Red Wolf Captive Breeding Program and
has bred two pups in the past two years. Red wolves are found in the southeastern
United States, primarily North Carolina.
Visiting in the winter has the extra advantage of seeing the wolves with their full coat of hair. They shed in the summer and look about one-third smaller! The wolves are also most lively in the cooler weather. If you happen to make it on a snowy day, the wolves delight in the snow, rolling around and catching flakes on their tongues.
Getting there: Wolf Haven International is located seven miles southeast of Interstate 5 at 3111 Offut Lake Road in Tenino. Take I-5 South to exit 99 and go east on 93rd Avenue (Left from I-5 southbound). Follow the road for 3 to 4 miles, until you reach a “T” junction, and turn right onto Old Highway 99. Follow this road for another 3 to 4 miles. Nearing Wolf Haven, go through a short railroad tunnel; take the left that is directly across from the Chevron station onto Offut Lake Road. Wolf Haven is the first right off Offut Lake Road. It is open winter weekends Saturday, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sunday noon - 3 p.m. (closed in February); tours start on the hour. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for children 3-12 and free for children 3 and younger. 360-264-4695. www.wolfhaven.org.
Northwest Trek
Eatonville’s Northwest Trek, operated by Metro Parks Tacoma, offers a unique opportunity to see Northwest native species in a free roaming environment. Hop aboard the tram for an hour-long tour around 400 hundred acres to see several plant-eating species. Watch elk, black tail deer, big horn sheep, moose and mountain goats interact in this natural environment. There’s even a herd of bison (the animals I grew up calling buffalo).
Led by a naturalist, visitors travel between forest, wetland and meadow areas and learn about the life span of the animals, common behavior and the environment of trees and plants needed by the different species. Although you cannot get off the tram, it goes at a slow pace and makes frequent stops to see the animals. Bring your camera, but leave food back in the car as you cannot feed the animals. The tram runs all year. For your winter visit, notice the difference in thicker coats, fuller antlers and friskier behavior in the animals.
When you finish the tram ride, head to the core area to see the big cats, canines, raptors and bears behind their fenced-in enclosures. Walk forested pathways from one section to another.
The gray wolves at Northwest Trek live in a pack. The observation
center for them is set up like a scientist’s cabin. Children enjoy
the low windows where they can lay down and see the wolves running around
outside.
Another great stop for children is at the Discovery Center. Numerous educational
opportunities are here as well as fun crafts. If you start here, you may
find it hard to get your child to leave!
Reservations are required for Keeper and Behind-the-Scenes Tours; call 360-832-7166.
Getting there: From Seattle, take Interstate 405 South to exit #2 (State Route 167 South to Renton and Auburn). Travel 20 miles south on SR 167 and exit to State Route 512 (west to Puyallup). Travel 3.5 miles and exit at State Route 161 (to South Hill and Eatonville). Turn left at the light and travel south 17 miles. Northwest Trek is on the left side of the highway. From Downtown Tacoma, travel south on I-5 and take exit #127 (SR 512 to Puyallup). Travel east on SR 512 for about eight miles to SR 161 (Eatonville exit). Turn right onto SR 161. Follow SR 161 south for 17 miles. Northwest Trek is on the left side of the highway. It is open Friday through Sunday, 9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m., November through mid-February and daily, 9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. Feb. 18 through April 1. Admission is $12 for adults, $8 for children 5-12, $5 for ages 3-4; discounts for Pierce County residents. 360-832-6117. www.nwtrek.org.
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
When we think about animals thriving in cold weather, polar bears are one of the first to come to mind. Head to the Arctic Tundra exhibit at Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma to watch the four polar bears frolic in the cooler weather.
Polar bears are well adapted to frigid conditions, having a thick layer of fat under their fur to keep them warm while hunting seals in cold water. Waterproof fur allows them to shake off any icy water easily. Look closely while they are swimming – they use their front legs to paddle while the hind legs are held straight back flat, acting like a boat’s rudder for steering. Unlike their forest bear counterparts, polar bears don’t go into deep hibernation in the winter, so they are out swimming this time of year. They hunt seals year-round and prefer to travel over sea ice in the arctic polar region, which is most thick and stable in winter. Only pregnant females may stay closer to land and dig a den in snowdrifts for their cubs.
One of the best exhibits in the park, the Arctic Tundra
also features Arctic foxes (whose gray-brown fur turns brilliant white
in winter) as well as muskox and reindeer.
Reservations are required for all special programs, including Zoo Snoozes
with the sharks, Zoo Tots’ Critter Club and Discover Nature programs;
call 253-591-5333.
Getting there: From Seattle, take I-5 South to exit 132 (Highway 16 West). Exit at 6th Avenue and turn left. Take the next right onto Pearl Street. Follow Pearl Street into Point Defiance Park. Follow signs to parking lots. The zoo is open daily November to March, 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Check for spring and summer hours. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for children 4-12, and free for children 3 and younger. 253-591-5337. www.pdza.org.
Cougar Mountain Zoo
One animal synonymous with winter is the reindeer. Cougar Mountain Zoo in Issaquah has one of the largest zoo herds in the United States.
Get up close to this herd of 15, which includes four males and eleven females. Unlike most members of the deer family, both sexes have antlers that they shed annually. But you can tell the alpha or lead male, because his antlers are the biggest. The reindeer of Northern Europe and Russia are the same species we call caribou in North America. In Scandinavia, the animals were domesticated and herded 2,000 years ago, while in North America they continued to roam free. The Northern Europeans living near the Arctic are dependent on reindeer for food and clothing, as well as for pulling their sleds. So anyone living near the North Pole really would use reindeer to get around!
Focusing on a number of endangered or threatened species, the Cougar Mountain Zoo is a great place to learn about species such as cranes, lemurs, emus, wallabies, cougars and macaws. Keepers schedule mini-lectures throughout the day, and staff members are available in many of the areas to answer questions.
Getting there: From Seattle, take Interstate
90 East to exit 15. Turn right (south) onto 17th Avenue N.W. (also known
as State Route 900 and Issaquah Renton Road). Turn right (west) on Newport
Way and turn left up the hill (south) on S.E. 54th Street at the Zoo Landmark
Sign. The Cougar Mountain Zoo is located approximately a quarter mile
up S.E. 54th Street. From Tacoma, take I-5 North to Interstate 405. Take
I-405 North to Interstate 90 East. Go east on I-90 to exit 15. Follow
directions above.
The zoo is open January through November, Wednesday through Sunday, 9
a.m. - 5 p.m. p.m. Regular admission is $9 for adults, $6.50 for children
2-12, and free for children 2 and younger. 425-392-6278. www.cougarmountainzoo.org.
Janice Lovelace is a Bothell
writer and nature photographer.
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