Audio Guide
Introduction
AWCC is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving Alaska’s wildlife through conservation, public education, and quality animal care.
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Rules at the Center
Now it’s time to go over some basics. Fortunately, we do have rules to abide by… but hear me out!
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Reindeer
Before we get started, caribou and reindeer are the same species. In Alaska we refer to domesticated individuals in this group as reindeer while a common name used for their wild counterpart is caribou.
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Caribou
An interesting fact about caribou: they out populate people in the state of Alaska 1.5 to 1.
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Porcupine
Porcupines are strict vegetarians, sometimes living off just a single tree for a winter. Given the opportunity, they will like a variety of fruits and vegetables.
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Moose
Moose are the largest member of the deer family, and the Alaskan Yukon Moose is the largest of the moose family. At birth, calves typically weigh approximately 25 pounds.
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Musk Ox
Musk oxen are closely related to sheep and goats, and therefore establish dominance in much the same way.
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Dangerous Animal Awareness: Moose and Bear Country
In Alaska it’s not just bears you need to worry about. Aside from the weather and realities of how unforgiving the climate can be (did you bring rain gear?), we live among bears and other large animals like moose.
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Black Bear
Black Bears are one of the more adaptable animals in the entire animal kingdom, as they are currently found in every single United States’ state, with the exception of Hawaii.
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Brown Bear
Despite having a brown bear in the state of Alaska, we actually have three sub-species; Grizzly Brown Bears, Coastal Brown Bears, and the Kodiak Brown Bear.
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Wood Bison
The Wood Bison at the Wildlife Conservation Center are currently the only herd in the United States.
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Elk
Elk were originally brought up in the 1920’s as a herdable & ranchable animal. Our re-introductory efforts took place in the 1950’s, and were largely unsuccessful on the main land of Alaska.
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Birds
The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is home to a variety of birds including bald eagles and great horned owls.
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Lynx
The common name for lynx in Alaska is Canadian Lynx. Males are known as “toms,” while females are referenced as “mollies.”
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Sitka Blacktail Deer
Sitka black-tailed deer are a diminutive coastal subspecies of the mule deer that is common throughout western North America.
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Wolves
Wolves are the largest member of the canid family that live in Alaska. Adult males can weigh anywhere from 85 to 120 pounds, some of the largest males reaching close to 150 pounds, while females average 10 to 15 pounds lighter than their male counterparts.
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Fox
Red foxes are widespread and abundant in Alaska. There are no current population estimates, but red foxes’ number in the tens of thousands in the state.
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Coyotes
Coyotes are another member of the canid family residing at the AWCC. They are dubbed the most vocal of the canids and are sometimes referred to as the “song dog.” Coyotes average in size from 30 to 40 pounds, males typically weighing more than females.
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American Red Squirrel
Red squirrels tend to cache much of the food they collect, saving it for winter. They have cache storage areas all over their territory.