August 10 , 2009 – Goodbyes and the Conservation Center

We said our goodbyes to Bill and Shelly this morning.

(Bill and Shelly, we have really enjoyed spending time with you both and hope to do it again soon.)

After lunch, Andy and I went to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. They are “a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Alaska’s wildlife through public education.  They take in injured  and orphaned animals year-round and give them care.  Animals that cannot be released into the wild are given a permanent home at the center.”

We saw a porcupine:

  

 

And moose:

Elk:

 

Musk Ox:

Brown Bear (Grizzly): 

Black Bear:

Wood Bison:

Baby Moose:

There are 4 baby moose on the refuge that were rescued when they were less than 2 weeks old (their mothers were killed).  They will be released back to the wild this fall.

Caribou:

 

We also saw Owls and Eagles.  Part of me understands why this is done but when I saw the adult moose and the bears, it almost felt like a circus.  But on the other hand, the animals would not be able to survive in the wild.  I guess there is no right answer.

(I know I will probably have many ANONYMOUS people write me on this one.  Someday I will spend a blog on the interesting comments I get that I don’t publish.)

This area was the original town site of Portage before the earthquake of 1964.  More history:

 

We enjoyed the rest of the day in the sunshine with another great campfire.  Here is the glacier that is right above our campsite:

Tomorrow we officially leave the Kenai Peninsula and Turnagain Arm and start heading east.  It is sad to leave but hopefully some day, we will be back again.