Travel Talk

Wild road trips
Downtown Aquarium

Jamma, a black leopard, is one of the first big cats you’ll see at Serenity Springs Wildlife Center. © Courtesy of Serenity Springs Wildlife Center.

Wild road trips
By Marty Banks

If you’re perpetually on the prowl for exotic animal encounters, if you roared with delight at Disney’s recent African Cats movie, or if you’re just looking for inspired activities, we suggest some seriously wild road trips.

Colorado is home to three long-time, respected animal sanctuaries, which provide refuge to wild animals that cannot be integrated into a natural environment. Unlike zoos, sanctuaries are not founded for the benefit of the viewing public. In fact, all three sanctuaries were started by individuals who opened their doors to rescue one animal … and within days were inundated with requests to take more.

The “captive wildlife crisis,” says Katie Vandergrift at The Wild Animal Sanctuary, refers to wild animals being held outside of legally licensed facilities. And it’s no small issue. Vandergrift says that, as an example, there are more tigers in private ownership within the state of Texas than there are in the wild.

And we’re not talking good treatment. People can be stupid—they have kept wolves in college dorms, given tigers as gifts to 4-year-olds, and housed a pride of lions in a cage the size of a double bed. Suffice to say, the animals at these sanctuaries have found shelter from a very stormy past.

All three Colorado sanctuaries allow public visits to promote animal education and conservation. They also use the modest entrance fees to help support the expensive operations.

By necessity, all facilities are in rural Colorado, down washboard roads 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 socialization. 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.

Serenity Springs Wildlife Center


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. © Courtesy of 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 films and Las Vegas shows, many of the cats are show business retirees. They seem more than comfortable with the people passing by and don’t hesitate to chuff and roar in your direction.

The facility hosts school groups, birthday parties, corporate events, and family functions.

Serenity Springs Wildlife Center is open weekends with tours at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., and 3 p.m. in summer and 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. in winter. Admission is $10 per person, kids 2 and under are free; no strollers allowed. 719-347-9200.

Colorado Wolf & Wildlife Center

Colorado Wolf & Wildlife Center is the most quintessential Colorado experience, tucked into the hilly forest near Divide. As you exit your car in the parking lot, you’re likely to hear the call of unseen wolves through the trees. The welcome is both eerie and strangely calming.

The 35-acre center is home to 17 wolves, all in large, wooded enclosures of up to an acre. They live in pack groups and are very active. Unlike the big cats at the other facilities, the wolves constantly prance and trot through the woods.

Tours, by reservation only, are led by informed staff members who talk about each animal. Staff members carry a bag of raw meat treats, so the wolves are more than happy to see a tour group heading their way.

For an extra fee, visitors can book a “VIP” tour and go in enclosures with both wolves and foxes, as well as have their picture taken feeding a wolf. There are full moon tours once a month, except in January when there’s a bonfire and an eat-with-the-wolves BBQ event.

At the end of each tour, staff members entice the group to “get your best wolf howl going on” to see if the wolves will howl back. All right then, everyone together: H-ow-ow-OW-OW-L!

Colorado Wolf & Wildlife Center is open Tuesdays through Sundays, and tours are by reservation only at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for children ages 12 and under. 719-687-9742.

Marty Banks (www.martymoklerbanks.com) is a Colorado Springs-based freelance writer, author of the children’s picture book The Splatters Learn Some Manners, and coauthor of the new travel book Insiders’ Guide to Colorado Springs.


Colorado GEM: Downtown Aquarium


© VISIT DENVER

The Downtown Aquarium in Denver is an entertainment and dining complex that features over 500 species of animals and birds, including lionfish, snakes, otters, sea anemones and Sumatran tigers. Housed in a modern brick building with striking atrium, the aquarium also contains the Aquarium Restaurant (offering a AAA member discount), Dive Lounge, the Nautilus Ballroom and amusements for the entire family. The Downtown Aquarium tells a tale of various ecosystems, including wetlands, oceans, deserts, barrier reefs, beaches, rainforests and mangrove-fringed lagoons.

An aquarium tank is home to sharks, eels, stingrays, and other underwater creatures. An interactive touch tank as well as naturalistic sounds and settings complete the experience. For and additional fee, visitors may experience what it’s like to be a marine biologist or a zoologist, or snorkel and scuba dive in the large ocean tank.

This is one of the Colorado GEMs listed in the AAA TourBook. GEMs are Great Experiences for Members—top picks for things to do or see in the state. Get the 2011 edition at branch offices or at www.AAA.com/travel. For information on the Downtown Aquarium call 303-561-4450 or visit www.aquariumrestaurants.com.

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