Down in the aviary, it’s time for some late spring preening.
Video: Turkey vulture, Lewis, preening himself on top of a stump on habitat.
While wild grizzly and black bears in the Yellowstone ecosystem will hibernate, some populations in other regions may only do so for a few weeks or won't at all if there is enough food to sustain them during that time. The bears that do hibernate rely on body fat to get them through the winter months and can eat enough throughout the summer and fall to attain 30-40% body fat levels. Bears will dig new dens each year and spend time digging up material for insulation inside that den space in order to stay warm thorughout the winter. Dens are just big enough for the bear to fit inside in order to conserve heat. Since grizzly bears do not have as thick of a coat as wolves or other animals who need to brave the elements, they need to retain as much heat as they can during hibernation.
Video: Seeley, a four year old female grizzly bear, moving logs to find food on a snowy habitat.
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center! Here at the Center, our animals are enjoying feasts of their favorite types of food. Willow and Aspen consider fish and other types of meat as a tasty enrichment item; however, our keepers made it festive by placing the food inside of a pumpkin. We hope that everyone is enjoying their favorite Thanksgiving foods with family or friends.
Video: Willow, a five year old river otter, trying to break the top off of a pumpkin on habitat.
The trout stock has arrived! During the summer, the bears, wolves, and otters are able to fish for trout in their habitats as part of their enrichment.
Video: 3-year-old male gray wolf Colter fishing.
With Memorial Day right around the corner, camping season is kicking off in the Yellowstone area. As people make their camping preparations, it's critical to plan to manage food and food smells responsibly to avoid inviting unwanted visitors to a campground or picnic area.
Help us raise awareness with a donation of an old tent or cooler!
Every summer, we do several "campsite" demonstrations in the bear habitat to illustrate the dos and (especially) don'ts of camping in bear country. If you have an old tent or cooler, or camp kitchen supplies you can contribute to the cause, we're taking donations. We'll use the items to establish a fake campsite for the bears that live at the GWDC to explore during these demonstrations. To donate items, please give us a call at 406-646-7001, or email us at [email protected].
Remember, plan ahead to prepare and store food properly for a safe camp!
Grizzly bears and black bears inhabit the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and can be attracted to campsites if food or food-like odors are present. When camping in bear country, remember to secure attractants safely in bear-resistant containers away from your tent or sleeping area, clean dishes properly, and change out of clothes that may have picked up food odors before sleeping.
Video: Taken July 2020, 12-year-old male grizzly bear Coram investigating a mock campsite.
It’s a beautiful winter day here…in May! The wolves seem to be enjoying the cooler weather.
Video: 3-year-old male gray wolf Colter stands on a rock while his sister, 3-year-old female gray wolf Harlequin, lays on the right on a rock ledge.
Some of the best flyfishing conditions in the world can be found in and around Yellowstone National Park. Fishing the rivers in Yellowstone isn’t open for a few weeks, but lucky anglers outside of the park might find themsleves catching some fish like these Yellowstone cutthroat trout.
Image: GWDC Yellowstone cutthroat trout swimming.
As semi-aquatic animals, otters are well adapted to both land and water. Their streamline bodies, webbed feet, and strong tail help them maneuver through water. However, while they are strong swimmers, they can also run up to 15 miles per hour on land!
Image: 5-year-old male North American river otter, Cliff searches for food in a tree.
The animal keepers did a great job keeping Aspen and Willow busy during their habitat time the other day!
Video: River otter sisters Aspen and Willow try to get an ice unstuck from a rock.
During the winter, amphibians and reptiles will sometimes enter a period of brumation, or little activity, and the GWDC rubber boa did just
that! He is now experienxing higher activity levels, and you just might see him slithering around his habitat, or burrowing under rocks and logs.
Video: Rubber boa slithers around water feature in habitat.
After spending energy finding food around the habitat, Bo digs right in!
Video: 7-year-old male grizzly Bo chews on an elk leg, saving a pumpkin for later.
Wolves have many ways in which they communicate, although howling is probably the most interesting to us humans! Wolves use body language and special scents like pheromones to communicate in addition to vocalizations.
Video: 3-year-old female gray wolf Shasta (L) and her twin brother Bridger (R) howl.
