A grand safari in the Tetons

Wyoming home to moose, elk, bison --and list goes on

February 10, 2002|By Steve Cohen. Special to the Tribune.

JACKSON, Wyo. — "Look, a moose!" squealed a tour mate, "And a baby! Can we stop?"

We had already parked carefully along the side of the main road fronting Wyoming's Grand Tetons, one of the most awesome mountain spines in North America. Other tour members had already climbed onto their seats. Their heads were poking through the three sunroofs of our specially equipped safari vehicle. Cameras were already clicking away.

Each peak of the Tetons rises on average 6,000 dramatic feet from a flat valley floor. Covered year-round in snow at their crests, this is the youngest ridge of the Rocky Mountains. These mountains are only 10,000,000 years old. They give their name to a popular national park located here, and the ordinarily impressive looked postcard perfect with two moose in the foreground. They were huge, as big as horses, browsing for food not more than a hundred yards off. Several of the occupants of only six seats peered through powerful spotting scopes or binoculars, which were provided as part of our tour. As soon as anyone saw an animal, which was frequently, we would stop, everyone would climb onto the car seats and look at or photograph the animals through the sunroofs.

"This is the only place in the lower 48 states where you can see nine types of large animals in one place, in the wild," said Tom Segerstrom, senior biologist, and tour guide. Segerstrom, a lanky, energetic and keen-eyed driver, is also a director of the Great Plains Wildlife Institute, which runs the wildlife safaris.

"People can come out here and, very frequently, in the space of a few hours, see elk, of course [Jackson's also home to the National Elk Refuge, where horse-drawn sleds carry visitors--for $10--to see the several thousand who winter there], bears, wolves, mule deer, white-tailed deer, bison, moose, bighorn sheep and antelope. There are bald eagles everywhere, and trumpeter swans, the biggest birds in North America. Some of them have a six-foot wingspan. They're so heavy, they look as if they'll never take off. And we've got lots of coyotes."

He pronounced the last word "kie-oats," just as one would expect in this part of the West.

"The animals are more fearful of people than cars," he explained insightfully a short time later. "Cars leave fast. People move s-l-o-w-l-y."

We were cruising the outskirts of Jackson, a town of 6,000 year-round residents which swells to 30,000 in summer. These people are also visited by around 4,000,000 others who yearly pass through town, the only sizable one for many miles. Jackson's also the main gateway to Grand Teton National Park and another place just up the road, Yellowstone National Park, the world's first national park and still a very popular place. "People come from all over the world to view geysers and steaming mud pots, as well as the prolific wildlife in Yellowstone," said Segerstrom. "What many don't realize is there's good wildlife habitat right in town."

As we drove, he played prerecorded tapes of animal sounds. We were treated to full-throated wolves howling and kie-oats practically wailing, a form of communication Segerstrom characterized as "complex." While we listened from a spot behind the Elk Refuge, we actually watched a coyote stalking several bighorn sheep across a hillside. It looked just like something you would otherwise see only on TV.

Among the extensive studies conducted under government auspices by the privately funded Wildlife Institute, Segerstrom said he was particularly excited to be involved with "reintroducing wolves, which will restabilize the animal populations as they were 200 years ago.

"Our regular tours have a 75 percent success rate for viewing wolves."

Visitors who participate in the programs offered by the Wildlife Institute can actually work side-by-side with professional biologists to do the things you normally view only on the Discovery Channel. This includes programs ranging from a few hours to a week, or longer, tracking animals with radio collars and gathering information regarding the survival of various species, animal migration, feeding patterns, breeding and so forth.

If my short tour was any indication, these programs must be very exciting. The wildlife safari was a highlight of the area. Each animal sighting was a thrill to watch and photograph. And the knowledge of wildlife imparted by an expert such as Segerstrom in a short time was amazing. He really made the animals and the whole idea of a balanced ecosystem come alive in a special way.

"The Wildlife Institute is working to create unique ways for people to be involved with wildlife, not just hunting and fishing," he said.



There are large wild animals virtually everywhere around Jackson, Wyo. For many visitors, the best way to learn to identify them will be on a guided wildlife safari offered by Great Plains Wildlife Institute, P.O. Box 7580, Jackson, WY 83001; 307-733-2623; www.wildlifesafari.com/.

Tours operate year-round and range in length from several hours to several days; prices start at $80. It is highly recommend taking the wildlife safari when you first reach Jackson. Then you'll know all the animals, and how to spot them.


Other things to do in and around Jackson include world-class skiing and winter activities at two ski resorts, and two immensely beautiful and popular national parks, Grand Teton and Yellowstone, which have numerous winter tour options, although their busiest season is summer.


For information contact the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce, 990 W. Broadway, Jackson, WY 83001; 307-733-3316; fax 307-733-5585; www.jacksonholechamber.com