Travel Talk By necessity, all facilities are in rural Colorado, down washboard roads
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TownOfFrisco.com 14 EnCompass September/October 2011
or up a dirt driveway. Each provides not only a startling, glorious look at wildlife, but also a journey into the small towns of Colorado.
The Wild Animal Sanctuary The largest sanctuary in both space and quantity is The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, east of Fort Lupton. The animals—40 lions, 85 bears, 70 tigers, an odd assortment such as wolves, even Morrison the camel—come from “illegal or abusive situations” in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, says public relations director Vandergrift. Viewing is from a raised platform, and because many of the enclosures
are big (most at least a few acres and some up to 20 acres) it’s easy to feel like you’re seeing the animals in the wild. The animals are most active at mealtime—Tuesdays, Thursdays, and
Saturdays between 9 and 10:30 a.m.—and in summer, most vocal in late afternoons. Visitors are welcome to bring a picnic dinner (there are tables) and listen to the wild serenade. Ten dogs live on the grounds, and they’re not just pets. When very
young animals arrive, the dogs are used to help with integration. In small, enclosed yards, the dogs teach the young beasts how to play, hunt, and develop motor skills. Even the little bulldog Butchie helps in the social- ization. So as he walks by a tiger enclosure, you can almost hear him say, “He’s nothing to worry about. I own him.” The Wild Animal Sanctuary is open seven days a week (except major holidays)
from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (open until dusk in summer). Admission is $10 for adults and $3 for children ages 3–12. 303-536-0118,
www.wildanimalsanctuary.org.
Serenity Springs Wildlife Center Serenity Springs Wildlife Center in Calhan, east of Colorado Springs, is a refuge for 120 big cats, and a few other stragglers such as snakes and emus. Visitors enter the facility while on a tour, led by a staff member who talks about each animal’s history. Probably because the founder of Serenity Springs used to be a trainer of
big cats for fi lms and Las Vegas shows, many of the cats are show business retirees. They seem more than comfortable with the people passing by and
The walking tour at Serenity Springs allows for an up-close view of big cats, kinkajous, and even a Barbary lion, now extinct in the wild.
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