i was gonna put this in the safari thread haha...probably better here.
we visited the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg today, right at an hour NE of Denver. i'd found it online last summer but we finally visited today...i was contemplating making it one of my charitable orgs this year and wanted to actually check it out. 100% privately funded.
it was pretty rad. way different and better than a zoo. every animal there is a rescue, and we saw pretty much everything - foxes, coyotes, wolves, lions, tigers, black bears, grizzlies, lynx, servals, snow leopards, mountain lions, panthers, jaguars, emus, ostrich, camels. Joe Exotic's 39 rescued tigers all live here now! 🐅
the elevated walkway is a unique way to view them, they don't pay any attention to 'up' (did not know that 😮) so they are oblivious to your presence...which makes them all super chill and comfortable. the facilities are huge and fantastically designed, they all have big underground dens. in the winter about 25 bald eagles nest there.
i didn't take any pictures bc none of them would have turned out any good, a lot of flat, brown prairie shots with hidden animal shapes lol. but you still got a clear view of everything, some were hanging out right underneath you.
it's a 3 mile round trip hike with lots of rest stops and refreshment facilities. def need hats, sunscreen, binoculars (they give you a free monocular with ticket).
would recommend as something really different to do, especially if you have kids that love animals 👍