West Yellowstone - Grizzly Bear and Wolf Discovery Centre

This post was originally going to be included in our Yellowstone post (soon to be posted) but as we were going through the photos we realised there was no way we could put the two together.

We booked an RV Park in West Yellowstone after spending one day in Yellowstone National Park, as we wanted to see the Grizzly Bear and Wolf Discovery Center which had been recommended to us by a number of people. The RV Park was located between an Imax theatre and the Discovery Centre (less than 100m to either) it only lacked a hot tub and cable TV to make it nirvana for Symi.

We were given two free tickets to the the Imax theatre by the RV Park so we went off that afternoon to see the wonderful movie Disney Nature Bears which we all thoroughly enjoyed. 

We spent the next day at the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center which like the museum in Bozeman gives you two days entry for your ticket. The Center rehouses bears and wolves that can no longer live in the wild. For the bears this is usually because they have somehow obtained human food and, taking a liking to it, have been foraging around campsites and other human areas trying to get it. Unfortunately they can then become aggressive and have to be relocated. If this doesn't work and they keep coming back they either go to a refuge like this one or if there are no places they are put down. As they say "a fed bear is a dead bear".

We were in and out for the next two days watching the bears and wolves. Symi got to participate in the Keeper Kids program and hid food for the bears which she enjoyed. We were all amazed to see the grizzly bears climbing trees. They were very keen to get the food which was hidden for them. Our favourite bear was Sam who weighs 1100lbs. One time when he was feeding there was food in the tree, to get to it he simply pulled out the whole tree! Another time 101, who is 32 and came to the refuge after 20 years in the wild, had a play fight with another bear. Apparently he rarely does this.

Symi hiding food for the bears

The wolves were also great to see so close up. These ones do not look that big but the ones in the wild put on a lot of weight for winter and look massive. They can weigh up to 150lbs.

On the second day, Corey came down from Bozeman and took Rob on another back country ride. This time starting where the last ride finished, at Targhee Pass, riding south to Reas Pass on the CDT. This was another classic ride through forest and alpine areas. At one stage there were some great views of the Grand Tetons in the distance. At Reas Pass, it was then a 12 mile ride along a rough dirt road to the RV. Along the river were multiple large beaver dams. The only other people we saw were a few ATV riders, a stark contrast to the crowds in Yellowstone just near by. When Rob and Corey returned Symi was very keen to have a ride with him in the shuttle vehicle he had left with us back to collect his car. She jumped in and had a grin like the cat that got the cream.

Symi and Corey in shuttle vehicle