Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center
Spend an afternoon learning about local wildlife!
Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center, located in West Yellowstone, MT, is an AZA Accredited, Not-for-Profit, Wildlife Park & Educational Facility.
Visiting the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center was one of the best priced and coolest things we did during our 5-day trip to Yellowstone. A cute and well thought out facility for any visitor who happens to stumble upon it, the GWDC offers a chance to see some of Yellowstone’s greatest wildlife species up close.
It’s not often that you get the chance to see bears, wolves, and raptors up close, so this is definitely a must do for the area. The park is not very big and we spent about 1.5 hours here (including the gift shop!). The entry fee is only $15 and it is well worth it!
animals
The Bears:
There are 7 resident bears on property, and they rotate them every hour in the habitat. During our visit, we saw Sam, a GIANT grizzly bear who wandered into a fishing village in 1996 after his mother disappeared. Sam was the first bear to arrive at the park and being a grizzly from Alaska, he is much bigger than the ones you would naturally find at Yellowstone. He can weigh anywhere between 850-1050lbs!
The bear habitat is very spacious and they do plenty of activities and enrichment to keep the bear residents engaged, such as letting them forage for hidden food (as they would in the wild).
One thing we found particularly entertaining was the bear container testing that they use for both enrichment and human studies. At the exit you can see all the different containers that have been tested… most of them were not bear-proof!
The Wolves:
There are 2 wolf packs living here at the GWDC and believe me when I say that this was an incredible thing to see!! Throughout my career as a zookeeper I have seen my fair share of habitat and viewing areas and this one was possibly the best I have come across. Inside the beautiful enclosed viewing space, we were able to see all the wolves clearly through the huge floor to ceiling glass panel windows. Most people never get the chance to see a wolf in real life (I myself have only seen 1), and it was neat to be able to capture such beautiful photos and videos to share with my friends and family!
We observed the River Valley Wolf Pack (Akela & Kootenai) who have been together at the park since their arrival in 2007. Akela is the dominant one, and she is the one pictured below.
Raptors:
The Raptor Aviary is home to many birds of prey including eagles, falcons, hawks, vultures, and even a few great horned owls.
Unita Ground Squirrels:
Okay I’ve never seen these guys before anywhere and they are SO CUTE. My boyfriend had to pull me away from them because I watched them play for 20 minutes and took like 100 pictures of them all!
Other Things at the Park:
Aside from these great animal viewings, GWDC also offers an array of educational programs such as Keeper Kids (for any aspiring kids who want to be zookeepers!), Wolf Pack Chat, Raptor Rap (meet the birds), Birds of Prey Presentation, Wildlife movies, Wildlife Watching Tips, NPS Ranger Presentation (learn about Yellowstone from a real ranger!), and a Bear Spray Demonstration.
love animals and want to help?
Ways you can help:
- Adopt an Animal
- Become a Park Member
- Purchase something from their Amazon Wish List
- Tile Donor: Purchase a tile to be engraved and placed on the front of the new Riparian Habitat building
- Donate to specific needs funds
Proceeds go toward animal care, facility updates / repairs, habitat expansions, and educational programs. Find out more at www.Grizzlydiscoveryctr.org under “Join + Support”
Thanks for supporting the animals!
Until Next Time,
