We decided to take a day to explore the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone, which happened to be within walking distance of our rental house. Although we had seen plenty of bison and elk, we hadn't seen any wolves or bears yet so we knew we'd get our chance here.
The goal is to let wildlife remain wild, so one of the techniques involves using Karelian Bear Dogs to scare the bears away from residential areas. We heard about how they are trained, and then had some photo ops with Nakiska.
Mason, Nikos, Kira and Olive also got a chance to pet and pose with her, too.
The center gave kids the opportunity to hide food in the grizzly enclosure, so our grandkids joined about a dozen others. When Sam, the center's largest bear, was released we all enjoyed watching him hunt for the apples, carrots, and dog food pellets that the kids had placed under the piles of rocks.
One of the tasks they give the grizzlies is to test coolers to see if they are as "bear-proof" as their manufacturer claims. One was being tested while we were there.
We learned that gray wolves can be white, gray, brown, black or even red. There's a white one at the center whose name is Summit!
Passing through the gift shop on the way out, we noticed a comfy spot to take a break. It was just the right size!
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