Yesterday we drove Monty’s body down to Whitehorse, our capital city, so he could be cremated. I’m pretty emotionally exhausted, so for now, let’s focus on some other cute animals.
We decided to spend two nights in Whitehorse, rather than driving right back in time for the weekend.
We visited the Yukon Wildlife Preserve today. We visited it when we were first in the Yukon, and wanted to see what it was like in the winter. If anything, it was busier, and we saw more of the animals! It is a really remarkable place, now owned by the territorial government. The animals are all from the Yukon and have huge fields. It doesn’t feel like a zoo, more of a big farm. The animals are a mixture of animals that have been born and bred here, and others that were injured or abandoned.
Here are some of my best pics of the day:
ElkTwo elksSnowy owl. I couldn’t get a great photo due to the fencing. This owl came to the rehab after being found injured, and despite having healed, she isn’t able to fly, so she is now a permanent resident.This bald eagle has also healed his broken wing, but he still can’t fly and will be able to live out his years here.
Woodland bisonMule deerMule deers playingIt was pretty neat to watch them tussling with their antlers.This older one barely opened his eyes while the young bucks wrestled ahead of him.MooseAdult male moose. Lost only half his antlers so far.Stone sheepMountain goatAnother mountain goatThese horns are sharp. Where the sheep bang their heads and horns, these goat will actually skewer each other in their sides so the adult males are separated during mating season.Two male caribouThe mother lynx and her daughter were chasing each other around and then the young one ran up the tree! It was incredible to watch!The branch it was on was so small. Look at the size of her feet!She actually lay down on the branch for awhile.This arctic fox was the CUTEST thing.Hello!*Yawn*Red fox sleeping on a hillA second arctic fox!CaribouFemale caribouAntler from the Preserve’s largest male caribou that fell off this winter.Snowshoe hare
Didn’t get any great photos of the muskoxen. They were the shyest today. Afterwards we went for a nice long soak at the Takhini Hot Springs.
Lisa (Verkley) Schuyler is a blogger reporting live from her new home in Canada's Yukon Territory. Often found wearing a hoodie, covered in pet hair, Lisa is a mis-placed forester who now spends her days engineering happiness for WordPress users. Lisa loves nature, animals, and most importantly, her handsome husband Jeff.
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