Bison Calf Born at NW Trek
JUST IN TIME FOR MOTHER’S DAY, A BISON CALF IS BORN AT NORTHWEST TREK WILDLIFE PARK
There’s a new lamb in the bighorn sheep herd, too, and more babies are expected soon
EATONVILLE, Wash. – It’s spring, and that means baby animals at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park. Mother’s Day weekend is a wonderful time to hop aboard a tram and scout for a newly born bison and two moose calves in the Free-Roaming Area at the wildlife park.
What better gift for Mom than a trip to Northwest Trek with the family on her special day? To keep the family time and memory-making going, yearlong memberships to the wildlife park are available.
There’s always something new to see. And right now, the female bison calf born April 28 heads the list.
The wobbly-legged calf is orange, or buff, colored in contrast to the dark brown of her mother. She is the 17th bison in the Northwest Trek herd.
A week-old calf stands, a bit wobbly, next to her mother on Tuesday in the Free-Roaming Area at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park.
There’s also a new lamb in the bighorn sheep herd, bringing that group to 26 in the Free-Roaming Area. The lamb was born on Monday.
“Baby season is always enjoyable because there’s the anticipation of something new each day,” Free-Roaming Area keeper Dave Meadows said. “It’s also fun to watch the little ones show off their innocence while they grow and learn from their mothers.
“I expect more lambs in May, and another bison calf is possible in the next month or two, “Meadows added.
A mountain goat kid is possible later this month or next, and deer fawns and elk calves often are born in June.
Because the animals move about freely in their 435-acre forested and meadowed space, it can be difficult to track pregnancies.
Meanwhile, the two moose calves released into the Free-Roaming Area last month are settling well into their new surroundings, Meadows said. They bring the total of moose in the area to four, three females and one male.
The calves, a female born in Alaska and a male born in Idaho, are rescued animals. Both were orphaned and in poor condition were they were found. Wildlife and zoological officials in three states worked together to find a home for the calves at Northwest Trek. Keepers bottle fed them and nursed them back to health.
The calves are just under a year old.
Visitors to Northwest Trek might spot the calves from the narrated tram tour through the Free-Roaming Area. There also are paths to walk through the wildlife park, and visitors can view eagles, river otters, beavers, coyotes, wolves, bears and other animals from the trails.
The tram and walking tours are included with admission to Northwest Trek.
A household membership is a bargain. It’s $115 and includes unlimited admission for a year to two named adults and dependent children under 18. The membership also includes discounts on Northwest Trek programs, a 10 percent discount in the gift shop and a 20 percent discount to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. A household membership could pay for itself in just three visits to the wildlife park.
For more information, go to www.nwtrek.org.