A barely 24-hour old musk ox calf — AWCC in Portage, AK.

Adult musk oxen lazing about — AWCC in Portage, AK.

I'd think twice about petting wildlife — AWCC in Portage, AK.

Bull elk in the "rut pen" being kept separate from the females — AWCC in Portage, AK.

A member of the Wolf Pack — AWCC in Portage, AK.

End the Day @ the AWCC

May 13, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F

Actually, the day did not end at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center in Portage. We still had to make our way back to Anchorage from there. But this is the last post for today, so I will consider it the end of the day.

The AWCC, which cares for orphaned and injured animals, is one of our favorite places to visit when we come to this part of Alaska. Over the 20 years since our first time here, the admission has gone up from $5 to $15 (military and 65+) ... worth it IMHO. The place has also grown considerably. Visitors can drive a loop, but we opted to walk since we’d been in the car all day ... our one attempt to do a short hike foiled by snow blocking the trail.

Today, we found the animals that call this sanctuary home a little listless. Speaking to one of the caretakers, he explained that many of the animals are still shedding their winter coats so the temperature was a bit high for them to be active yet. Bummer.

But we did have a special sighting ... a barely 24-hour old musk ox calf was quite close to the fence line. Turns out we’re amongst the few people to witness the animal’s first steps. So special.Read more