USA 41 - Bison, Bears, and Moose!!!

Before I leave my Alaskan adventure, I want to share a piece of the puzzle...of why this place has enchanted me so.

Of course, I've already shared the immense and majestic beauty of this place. From the moment I stepped out of Anchorage airport and saw those magnificent mountains, I was hooked...and it only got better from there. A five day trip has turned into five weeks, and I'm already planning my next visit. There is something so magical about the mountains here - they light me up on the inside every time I look at them.

And then there's the animals.

Never knowing when I may come across a bear or a moose leaves one on their toes, yes, but also leaves one breathless with excitement about what might happen next - a simple walk along the road could become a huge adventure! And if you read three blogs ago, you'll know I witnessed a grizzly bear steal a baby moose from its mother and eat it...right there on the river bank opposite our campfire. WOW.

I've already shown pics of the sea life, the fab fish I caught, and the odd bird. A few days ago on the way back to Anchorage I stopped in at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Centre, and it was marvellous.

This Centre looks after orphaned or injured wildlife and releases them back into the wild if they are able to be released - the moose and bears have to stay if they are orphaned because their Mum wasn't there to show them how to survive.

So, above are a few pics of the wonderful beasts that roam Alaska. There's a grizzly and cub, a black bear, moose, and the cutest baby moose, and of course the wonderful Bison - they have been doing a breeding program to reintroduce the species back to Alaska - they were hunted to virtual extinction here in the late 1800s. There's also wonderful Muskoxen, you can see them there in the pic with the mountains behind - again, brought back from the brink of extinction.

Sigh. Magical.

Enjoy.