Island Park, not Island Zoo!

Residents of Island Park have adapted to the continuous presence of diverse wildlife. They take down the bird feeders in the spring and cautiously store garbage indoors to avoid attracting bears. They drive slower through the forest and give wild animals a wide berth when on foot. We forget that many people have never experienced nature as they do when they visit the Yellowstone ecosystem, including Island Park.

Here is a sample of last week’s visitor inquiries regarding the wildlife. A couple walked into a local business and asked the owner “When do they let the animals out?” Another visitor asked a convenience store clerk “When do the elk turn into moose?” A woman who was renting a cabin called Fish and Game to inform them that one of their moose had escaped and was in her yard. She requested that they come and get it.

Vacationers may be accustomed to visiting a park to see animals at the city zoo. Arriving in Island Park, they may assume that they have entered an actual park with an included zoo, fences camouflaged by the thick forest. The concept of large, potentially dangerous animals being allowed to wander throughout the area is foreign to most. The wildlife in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem was here first and we are visitors in their realm.

Be cautious, be attentive and marvel at the wildlife that freely inhabits the area.