Saturday-Sunday, July 19-20

As we explored the environs of Sitka, driving as far to the southeast of the city as we could go (seven miles), we came upon the "Fortress of the Bear ." What could that be? There are many bears in this part of the world, both black and brown (grizzlies), and we have been warned in every campground to be extremely careful with our food. But a fortress? It turned out to be an orphanage for two brown bear cubs, whose mother was shot when she invaded the kitchen of a lodge in Angoon. Normally when a mother dies, the fish and wildlife service shoots the cubs, because they could not survive on their own. Les, the executive director of the Bear Fortress, told us that he had done this often enough when he worked for the service and wanted to find another way. So he set up this non-profit corporation and houses the bears in an enormous tank -- formerly part of a pulp mill operation that occupied the site -- which he has landscaped with a pond, trees, and berry bushes. We had a great time watching Killisnoo and Chaik play. They can never be reintroduced into the wild because they have had too much contact with humans; Les hopes to place them in a zoo when they are grown . These bears have a good life here, but not everyone in Sitka approves of keeping bears in captivity.

 

No controversy surrounds the Alaska Raptor Center, which we visited on Sunday. This well-established organization provides veterinary care to wounded birds of prey -- primarily eagles -- and manages to reintroduce many of them to the wild aftger they have recovered. We were fortunate to arrive shortly after a wounded eagle had and were able to observe its treatment in the clinic through one-way glass. We were also able to view the flight center, where recuperating birds can practice flying. Those who would not be able to survive in the wild, such as the eagle and peregrine falcon in my pictures, are kept at the center, where visitors can admire them. If you find a wounded bird of prey and can get it to an Alaska Airlines office, they will fly it to the Raptor Center without charge.


We were so excited to see our first eagles in Haines, but now we are seeing them regularly. They are part of the landscape of southeast Alaska.