Beartooth Nature Center
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Attractions //
Beartooth Nature Center, located in Red Lodge, Montana is a nonprofit, educational center with over 75 native wild animals that cannot be returned to the wild. This wildlife refuge is the only public facility in Montana to house native animals that cannot be released back into the wild due to injury or habituation to humans.
The Center cares for animals and birds placed there by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, including wolves, mountain lions, black bears, eagles, hawks, owls, elk, antelope, bobcat, fox, coyote and others. Beartooth Nature Center offers visitors an unparalleled chance to learn about these and other animals by observing them at close range and through interpretive displays.
Each year wildlife authorities in Montana receive dozens of injured, orphaned and illegally raised animals. Though many can be rehabilitated and returned to the wild, others would have little chance of surviving. Sadly, there are far more of these animals than the State can support, and due to the difficulty in placing such creatures in safe environments or suitable facilities, many of them face euthanasia.
Some unreleasable animals, however, are placed at the Nature Center on permanent loan. There they serve to further the state's wildlife goals through the public education provided by the Center, whose stated mission is that it "advocates the protection of Montana's wildlife and its habitats. By receiving and caring for animals unable to return to the wild, the Nature Center provides an opportunity to educate our citizens as to the value of wildlife and its conservation."
As the Center's executive director, Ruth Brown, notes, "The most important thing we want our visitors to learn is an appreciation and respect for these animals. These animals must spend their life in captivity primarily because of human intervention. We always try to point out that although they are wonderful creatures, deer, coyotes, and bears belong in the wild, not as pets. Hopefully the lives of our animals will serve to keep others free from interference."
For visitors to the Center, the facility's great draw is the immediate contact with wild species. Even long-time Montana residents are fascinated by seeing at arm's length such elusive creatures as pronghorn and mountain lion, and regular visitors come to develop personal relationships with many of the animals, especially if they have had the opportunity to watch them grow up over the years. Helen the mountain lion, the Center's mascot, is known and loved by thousands. She developed a severe infection when she was just weeks old, and was abandoned by her mother. The cub was left in a family's yard outside of Bozeman, Montana. A game warden rescued her and named her Helen after an aunt of his that had recently passed away. Helen was brought to the Center, where she recovered and grew up in the public eye. In her youth, when her size was manageable, Helen was the star feature of wildlife education programs given at local schools and organizations, and even made an appearance on the national television program "Good Morning America".
A visit to Beartooth Nature Center is one of the true highlights of Red Lodge, Montana. The Center offers an excellent educational opportuntity for children and adults alike. From its nestled location on the rocky hillside, the Nature Center boasts one of the town's best views of the Beartooth Mountains, and makes a terrific spot for a picnic. Beartooth Nature Center is a non-profit wildlife refuge funded solely by private contributions in the form of donations, gate admissions, memberships, adopt-an-animal and grants. It is open from 10am to 5pm daily throughout the summer. Winter hours are posted as 10am to 2pm, weather permitting. Entrance fees are $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, $2.50 for children ages 5 - 15. The Center can be reached at (406) 446-1133.
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The Beartooth Nature Center is a refuge for native wildlife, located in Red Lodge.
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