Hearts Gone Wild A Wild Success!
Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary announces big plans for 2024
By Denise Rivette
Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary (YWS) held its “Hearts Gone Wild” event at The Pollard Hotel on Friday, February 9. The well-attended event became the springboard for announcing the Sanctuary’s plans to break ground on new habitats come Spring. Samantha Thomas, Chair of the Board of Directors, opened the event with a thank you to the community for its support during the 2023 season of celebrations. “We spent 2023 focusing on our strengths—our wildlife, our educational programs, and this community. We became even more determined to build our future on our existing land within Coal Miners Park.”
Executive Director, BR Walker, continued, “During 2023, the public response to YWS’ Wild of Wonder campaign was overwhelming. The community validated its support for our mission of providing lifelong sanctuary to non-releasable Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) wildlife while sharing a message of education and conservation.”
Walker went on to say that the need for new habitats is critical to YWS being able to accept new animals in need of permanent residence. “Our facilities held older animals but were not suitable for new, younger animals to be placed with us. We had to plan for our future,” stated Walker. “We are committed to stay in the community as an important destination to tell the story of GYE wildlife.”
During 2023, YWS updated empty habitats, planned new enclosures and built bird yards to improve the quality of life for wildlife placed in their care by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP). The Sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that depends upon private funding to achieve its goals. This funding comes from admission fees, gift shop sales, symbolic adoptions, and donations from individuals, corporations, local businesses and private foundations. With a grant from T.D. and S.K. Glide Family Foundation, YWS renovated its porcupine habitat following the loss of Rocky and Sidney (former porcupine residents). “When Ginny and Dakota (our beloved wolves) passed away last year, we faced the reality that we could not accept new wolves until the wolf enclosure was modified to securely contain dangerous residents. With a grant from the U.S. Humane Society, YWS has ‘escape proofed’ the habitat and will be adding a building to provide care for new wolves when a placement opportunity comes,” explained Walker, who has been a driving force in site planning for the Sanctuary.
“One of the most beneficial accomplishments of 2023 was construction of bird yards for the Sanctuary’s bird residents. They resided in mews that did not permit the birds to sun or fly to their ability (most of our resident birds have limited or no flight ability). With the funds provided by the Treacy Foundation, the quality of the lives of our bird residents has soared,” reported Izzy Sommerdorf, Animal Care Manager.
Samantha Thomas announced plans for YWS to break ground in the Spring of 2024. “Our team has worked hard to plan habitats that will work with the landscape within the current sanctuary grounds while providing excellent care for the wildlife who will reside there. The planning involved has been intense, lengthy, and included evaluating the property to determine the type of construction that would last for another 40 years.” Thomas beamed brightly presenting a gold shovel to newly elected Mayor Dave Westwood for the groundbreaking.
Mayor Westwood’s inauguration has brought new perspectives to old “problems” between the City of Red Lodge and YWS. One walk around YWS grounds and the YWS and City staffs quickly concurred that the major fence realignment project proposed by the previous administration, which would have resulted in the destruction of the bison enclosure, was unnecessary. Instead, long-term understandings are being negotiated and formalized. The current goal of both parties is to ensure that each party has everything they need for a mutually beneficial relationship and that YWS is never again in danger of losing access to ground it relies on to support one of the crown jewels of Red Lodge’s tourism industry.
Langlas and Associates working with Second Nature Consulting developed plans for the new habitats within the existing Sanctuary property and, when the ground thaws this Spring, YWS will break ground on wolf and mountain lion buildings and enclosures.
“You will have to pardon our construction during the Summer of 2024! We will be open for visitors but there will be plenty of construction activity through the Summer,” confirmed YWS Facilities Manager, Charles Skinner.
The highlight of the evening was a presentation on love in the animal kingdom presented by Dave Pauli. He kept the audience enthralled with humorous and intriguing details and stories of romance and sex amongst our fellow animals.
Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary is located on 9.07 acres given to the Beartooth Nature Center by the City of Red Lodge in 1988 for providing care for wildlife. The land was previously the city dump for Red Lodge and there are many stories about what lies beneath the Sanctuary. Walker is often quoted, “We’ve turned the city dump into gardens and homes for wildlife. What better testimony is there to Red Lodge’s response to being an environmental steward?”
YWS envisions that the Sanctuary’s enhancements will gain revenue for Red Lodge as a tourist attraction and educational center. YWS and the City of Red Lodge are working cooperatively to ensure each party has ready access to the land and infrastructure as needed. As the City of Red Lodge grows and infrastructure takes on increased importance, they want to reach an agreement that will permit both entities to thrive.
The best way to stay up to date on the Sanctuary’s plans is through a newsletter subscription and through the local news.
You can subscribe and donate to YWS at www.yellowstonewildlifesanctuary.org.