First visit to Northwest Trek puts editor in awe of wildlife park

JEFFERY P. MAYOR; THE NEWS TRIBUNE
Last updated: November 6th, 2008 12:40 AM (PST)

After that unsuccessful pass, the raptor flapped its massive wings twice, spun around and made another pass. Again, it came up empty.

Undeterred, the eagle made a third pass when I realized it wasn’t after a fish at all, but a small duck. The little creature escaped the eagle’s talons by diving under the surface each time the raptor approached.

Less than five minutes into a tram ride at Northwest Trek, and I had already watched something I had never seen before. There were a few oohs and ahhs from other passengers as the eagle made a fourth and fifth attempt before giving up and gliding to the nearby shore. The duck briskly paddled away, looking for a safe place to hide.

I sat back in my seat wondering what else we might see on the hourlong ride.

By an odd set of circumstances, this was my first visit to the Eatonville wildlife park. My family has been to the park several times, usually when I was at the office. Finally, on a cool, sunny day early last week, I made my visit to the park. I’m glad I did.

As the tram passed through the first meadow area, I was greeted by bison, bull elk sporting massive antlers and bighorn sheep.

Yellowstone National Park is sometimes called America’s Serengeti because of its diverse wildlife. Passing through Trek’s meadow area, I thought of it as a mini-version of Yellowstone’s Hayden Valley.

The bison certainly came as close to the tram as they do to your vehicle at Yellowstone. When you weigh as much as a small car, a tram full of visitors is no cause for concern.

Across the meadow, folks watched as a few bighorn sheep crossed the road in front of the tram. Off to the side, two young rams were preoccupied with each other, butting heads in a show of strength. We never did see which ram won.

We later came across two young bull elk who also were feeling their oats. They locked their antlers and tried to push each other back.

The shows of strength are part of the mating season rituals in which males compete for supremacy and the chance to mate with a female. Indeed, a larger and older bull elk watched the two young males, perhaps knowing he might have to deal with the winner someday to determine who dominates the herd.

It was amazing to watch each of these scenes unfold, as if part of a wildlife documentary.

Even later, as I walked through the animal enclosures, the wildlife drama didn’t stop.

I watched the lead female in the pack of four coyotes arch her back and snarl her teeth when a member of the pack did something the leader didn’t like. The other female quickly turned tail and trotted away, wary of incurring the wrath of the alpha female coyote.

But, like many wildlife parks and zoos, there are some unnatural concessions, like the moats separating visitors from the big cats such as the cougar and bobcat. And the metal flashing on some of the large trees in the cat enclosures. This was a result of last summer’s incident in which a Canadian lynx died after climbing into a 120-foot Douglas fir tree and falling to its death. The metal bands allow the cats to climb but not reach branches and elude the grasp of keepers.

Despite those few acknowledgements to reality, Northwest Trek is a great place to mingle with the wildlife from our region. I had the chance to observe behavior seen only in the wild. I’m glad I finally made the trip.

Jeffrey P. Mayor: 253-597-8640

jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com">jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com

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Originally published: November 6th, 2008 12:40 AM (PST)