Distinctly Montana Magazine

Belle Cheyenne Bobby Parker Peabody Hawkeye Bobbie Sioux WHERE THE ANIMALS ARE THE TEACHERS lung capacity, Cheyenne gets winded easily and can’t sustain the long flights needed for hunting. Birds of prey, Ewelt explained, need to know humans won’t hurt them. Ewelt began sitting in the barn owl pen for long stretches at a time. Slowly, he introduced Cheyenne to a leather glove, food and a tether. Captive animals have different needs and behavior than those in the wild and training gives them a purpose. “Cheyenne is reclusive by nature,” Ewelt said. “She’ll give you the look of death if she’s not in the mood for training. I’ve learned to just walk away!” With her new skills, Cheyenne has travelled to elementary schools, posed for art classes, and appeared on a web cam. Ewelt affec- tionately describes Cheyenne as a “skinny bird, mostly legs, fluff and feathers, at about 1 1⁄2 pounds.” Just as Ewelt and his family, originally from Florida, have learned to love the changing seasons and the temperamen- tal climate of the area, Ewelt is counting on Red Lodge to tolerate changes in the Center’s annual fundraiser. What was once the “Feast for the Beasts” held in a lovely lo- cal hotel, the friend-raiser is now tagged “Feast with the Beasts.” It will be held outside on the Center’s grounds. The “Feast” raises about 10 percent of the annual budget. The remainder of the budget comes from memberships, entrance fees, grants, and gifts. Red Lodge has a soft spot in its heart for the Beartooth Nature Center and its animals. The Center traces its begin- nings to a fur farm established in the early 20th century. The fur farm evolved into a zoo as the Beartooth Highway was being built to connect Red Lodge with Cooke City and Yellowstone National Park. The dedication as an educational wildlife refuge came in the 1990s. The current mission, as Ewelt articulates it, is protective, educational, and interactive. “We want to provide the best animal care for our crit- ters, the best educational experience for those who want to learn more, and the most interesting animal interac- tion for visitors.” Ewelt appears to be hitting the mark. Under his leadership, visitor numbers are up substantially and revenue trends are even better. As the Center dreams about a move to a 20 acre parcel north of town, lush with aspen groves, wetlands, and Rock Creek, Ewelt is deter- mined that the Center be on solid financial footing and that the animal quarters and care be the best possible at the existing site. www.distinctlymontana.com Meanwhile, every day is a new day at Beartooth Nature Center. Thor, the North American lynx, and one of the region’s most elusive wild cats, with his huge snowshoe feet, bobbed tail, pointed ears and beard, is becoming acclimated to an animal harness. While Thor does his thing, Ewelt is busy building partnerships with ZooMontana and the Audubon Conservation Center in Billings and the Montana Raptor Center in Bozeman. He’s collaborating with the Science department at Montana State University-Billings to study the impact of forest fires on animals and habitat and looking for new and better ways to serve the injured and imprinted animals of the Yellowstone ecosystem. Beartooth Nature Center is open year round. Winter and summer hours vary and admission fees are charged. The turn-off to the Center is located 1⁄2 mile east of the Cenex gas station on the north end of Red Lodge. Turn left on 2nd Street East off Highway 212. Call (406) 446-1133 or look them up at: www.beartoothnaturecenter.org. Don’t be disappointed if you visit in the winter months and the four resident black bears aren’t in sight. They’re hibernating and will reappear in April or May. Virginia Bryan is a free-lance writer from Billings. She is completing her MFA in Creative Nonfiction at the University of New Orleans and is the Chair of the High Plains Book Awards Committee, a project of the Parmly Billings Library. 89

• Cover