Close Encounters

Going Wild in Northwest Wildlife Parks

Story by Roddy Scheer

From wolverines to wallabies, coyotes to kangaroos, these parks let you get eye-to-eye with native and exotic critters.

WHILE THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST may be famous for its wild animals, few besides the heartiest of hunters, loggers, and photographers ever get to see them outside of the zoo. That's where three of the world's premiere wildlife parks come in. These facilities are designed to allow the public to get up close and personal with well-known if elusive animal species from around the region and beyond. Between Northwest Trek Wildlife Park and the Olympic Game Farm in Washington and Wildlife Safari in Oregon, animal lovers young and old can check out dozens of different types of so-called "charismatic megafauna" (a biologist’s term for large mammals that evoke sentimental support from the general public) roaming in a more natural and free-ranging setting than a zoo.

Each of the three parks has its own distinct personality, and each warrants a visit on its own or in conjunction with a larger road trip around the Pacific Northwest.

Eatonville, Washington

Northwest Trek Wildlife Park

While nearby Mount Rainier National Park might get more attention, Northwest Trek Wildlife Park is a destination in and of itself for upwards of 180,000 wildlife enthusiasts every year.

The 723-acre park features a wide range of habitats, with lakes, trails, meadows, woods, and ridges that serve as home to more than 200 North American animals representing more than three dozen species. Visitors can hop aboard one of the park's naturalist-guided trams for an informative hour-long tour through a 435-acre, free-roaming area where sightings of everything from bison to bighorn sheep to mountain goats are commonplace.

The other main draw at the park is the (handicapped-accessible) walking tour, which winds on asphalt pathways past various large enclosures featuring brown and black bears; bobcats, cougars, and lynx; owls and eagles; coyotes, wolves, and foxes; wolverines, badgers, skunks, fishers, porcupines, beavers, and river otters.

Northwest Trek prides itself on its large naturalistic enclosures that allow the animals to maintain some semblance of a wild existence. Additionally, staffers work hard to provide "enrichment" activities, whereby animals are stimulated to behave more like they live in the wilderness than in a zoo. Examples include hiding vegetables and other healthy treats under logs and up in trees for bears to sniff out and eat and providing fallen tree limbs from which beavers can gnaw branches for use in building dens.

Launched by Metro Parks Tacoma in 1975 and managed jointly with the acclaimed Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Northwest Trek was the vision of the late Dr. David Hellyer, who donated 535 acres of his family's land to create the park as a sanctuary for wildlife. Beyond educating and entertaining visitors, though, Hellyer wanted Northwest Trek to also play a role in saving threatened species. True to his wish, the park is currently involved in several ongoing conservation projects, ranging from raising endangered pygmy rabbits and returning them to their native habitats to collecting scat to help survey wild animal populations. (360-832-6117; www.nwtrek.org)

Sequim, Washington

Olympic Game Farm

Also in the state of Washington, the Olympic Game Farm in Sequim on the Olympic Peninsula seems worlds away. It is just a hop, skip, and jump from Olympic National Park and offers visitors the chance to see dozens of species of both native and exotic wildlife in a park-like setting.

While the enclosures at Olympic Game Farm may not be as large as at Northwest Trek, the animals can be far more entertaining, given their Hollywood pedigree. After all, for more than two decades, the park served as the private domain of the Walt Disney Company, who hired owner Lloyd Beebe to tame, train, support, and film a wide range of once-wild animals for use in an acclaimed series of nature films made between the late 1950s and early 1970s. Some of the better known titles that Beebe was instrumental in creating with Disney include Charlie, the Lonesome Cougar, The Incredible Journey, and Nikki, Wild Dog of the North, not to mention the Grizzly Adams television series.

While most of the animals starring in these productions have long since gone on to the great wildlife park in the sky, their grandchildren - from endangered species such as wolves, tigers, and lions to more common yet still elusive species - are still thriving at Olympic Game Farm today, where kids of all ages can see them. (360-683-4295; www.olygamefarm.com)

Winston, Oregon

Wildlife Safari

Not to be outdone by its neighbors to the north, Oregon is also home to a world-class wildlife park in the form of Wildlife Safari in the town of Winston, just a few miles south of Roseburg in the southwestern part of the state. As many as 200,000 visitors a year flock to Wildlife Safari to see exotic animals roaming freely over 600 acres of grasslands and wooded areas. Visitors take it all in from the comfort of their own vehicles. Seeing lions, giraffes, and rhinos making their daily rounds in a naturalistic setting is the highlight for most visitors. But those in search of an even closer encounter can sign up for "get inside" events such as elephant baths and rides, lion or bear feedings, and cheetah or tiger encounters.

More than just a wildlife park, Wildlife Safari is also a world-renowned veterinary medicine and research facility. Besides taking care of hundreds of animals on site, staff veterinarians offer various educational and internship opportunities to young people interested in working in the animal health field. Wildlife Safari also operates the largest cheetah breeding program in the United States in conjunction with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan program, whereby some of the world's leading wildlife biologists work together to help ensure the survival of more than 100 of the world's most endangered species. (541-679-6761; www.wildlifesafari.net)

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While each of these parks has its own specialties, they all provide unparalleled access to wildlife that the whole family can enjoy. Indeed, going wild has never been so easy or comfortable. So hitch up the minivan, fill up the gas tank, and head for the land where the deer and the antelope -- and the grizzly bear and bison -- play.