Indigenous cultures around the globe revere animals, for possessing unique spiritual gifts and qualities, bestowing wisdom to the seeker of spiritual truth, and providing direction for the wandering soul and comfort to the fearful. In these thoughts, the concept of being Animalwize is illustrated. To look at a bear, we may understand more about introspection, as some authors have shared, or perhaps the quality of making certain the project is complete enough before sharing it with the world as mother bear does with her young. Maybe we do recognize the leadership qualities of the mountain lion or, from a practical perspective, can learn lessons of awareness from a mountain lion. We simply need to sit and study the animal. Observe its behavior. Connect with the spirit of the animal. Ideally the connection is made in the natural world, but sometimes this can be accomplished in another setting. One such unique and wonder-filled setting is the Maine Wildlife Park in Gray, Maine.

Conveniently located on Route 26, a few miles north of Gray Village, Maine Wildlife Park offers visitors many opportunities to observe and interact with some of Maine’s animals. Their website says, “Bring your quarters. You can purchase feed to give to our bears, deer, and ground birds.” (The park no longer allows visitors to bring food for the animals, because not all food is good for wildlife.) Known over the years by several names including the most common “Game Farm,” the Maine Wildlife Park is a 240-acre site with 40 acres accessible to the general public from April 15th through November 11th, weather permitting.

The park’s staff consists of paid personnel and volunteers. We enjoyed our conversation with Curtis Johnson, the Park Supervisor of Maine Wildlife Park. His passion for helping the animals and educating visitors is evident from talking with him. He shared that the park actually began as a pheasant farm in the 1930’s.

Today, wildlife exhibits are constantly improved. The big project now is creating six new wildlife exhibits between this spring and April 2010, beginning with a new porcupine exhibit opening in April. The rest of the exhibits will be modeled after the porcupine exhibit. The exhibits are being upgraded from the concrete and chain link fenced enclosures of the 1960’s. The animals were well cared for in the older style, but the newer styles are more in keeping with the environment that the animal would identify within the natural world. Curt says, “These will have real earthen ground for a substrate, trees, rocks, fallen down logs… they (the exhibits) will be very natural compared to what they have now.”

Over twenty-five species of Maine Wildlife can be observed in the park including Black Bear, Coyote, Moose, Lynx, and Mountain Lion along with feathered friends like Owls, Red-Tailed Hawk, Eagle, and Wild Turkeys. Many of the animals found at the park were brought there because they had been injured or orphaned. Some became human-dependent, raised, sometimes illegally, in captivity. Maine Wildlife Park has become the permanent home for animals that cannot survive in the wild, for the animals’ protection and healing. They also live there for visitors to enjoy and learn about and from.

The animal residents of the park are “usually permanent and non-releasable,” according to Johnson. “They’re not rehabilitated and then released into the wild.”  The park receives animals, almost daily in the summer, from the public, game wardens, and biologists. Most of the animals can be rehabilitated. “We are sort of the middle-man between accepting the animal and sending it on to the proper rehabilitator. Usually within the same day or a couple of hours, the animals are transported to professional wildlife rehabilitators where they care for the animal until it's healed or its needs are met. Then, they release it. We’re not a rehabilitation facility, and we never really have been. This is a permanent home for non-releasable animals.” The park previously “dabbled in” rehabilitation, but not today.

Curt Johnson shared some history with us. “The farm (at the time a ring-neck pheasant farm) was purchased by the state in 1931 as part of the state’s pheasant rearing program where thousands (during the peak between thirty and forty thousand) were distributed and released state-wide. That was the primary purpose of this facility for decades.”  That program was terminated in the early 1980’s and the Maine Wildlife Park began to emerge and evolve into what it is today.

The secondary purpose of the park has always been acting in the capacity as “a safe haven for injured and orphaned wildlife that game wardens, biologists, and the public would bring in, ever since the beginning when it was first purchased as a pheasant farm. That function of the facility always had an ancestry here.” That’s how the park evolved after the pheasant-rearing farm terminated. “That’s the form it took on, as a visitor center where people could come and view all these animals that were being kept in captivity.”

In 1991 it was seriously threatened with closure. Curt explained, “Some locally concerned citizens got together and collected thirty thousand signatures to keep the park open. As a result of that appeal to the legislature they issued a self-sufficiency mandate that required the park to become more self-sufficient. That was a big turning point because the park received tax dollars prior to that point.” Following the mandate a dedicated account was established where the park’s revenue was placed. In 1994, the operating expenses began to come out of that account set up in 1991. “Since then we’ve achieved self-sufficiency, and today we don’t receive any tax dollars. We are entirely run out of that dedicated account.” The funds are generated through admission fees at the gate. They also receive “in kind services” from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, similar to being subsidized by the department, because some of the administrative functions are still handled through Inland Fisheries and Wildlife office in Augusta. “Game wardens and biologists all help the park to continue in its function.”

Volunteers also play a vital role in the work at Maine Wildlife Park. Formally organized in 1993 as “Friends of the Maine Wildlife Park” they operate the Snack Shack, recruit and organize other volunteers, care for the Gardens, and run the Gate House among other activities including tour guides and animal transporters.  According to Curt, “They contribute nearly forty percent of the annual hourly contribution to the park, which is incredible. The state’s subsidization and the volunteers are the two reasons why we’re able to operate the park. Without either one of those, especially the volunteers, we wouldn’t be able to operate this facility.” Potential volunteers may contact the park by telephone (207-657-4977) or they can complete a volunteer application on their website, www.state.me.us/ifw/education/wildlifepark/index.htm.

Almost the entire park is wheelchair accessible. All park buildings are wheelchair accessible except for the fish hatchery. Some of the nature trails are also accessible.  The park receives hundreds of visitors each year from wheelchair bound groups, veterans groups, groups with cognitive challenges and many others. They all seem to navigate well and enjoy the park. The park encourages those with special needs to contact them with any questions.

There’s plenty to see and do. The Visitor Center has furs to touch, a sandbox for tracking, and displays identifying Maine’s wildlife habitats. Thousands of brook trout are raised at the on-site Dry Mills Fish Hatchery. A nature store offers nature-related products for all ages. Visitors can enjoy cooking out with their own food in the picnic area that includes outdoor grills, or snacks may be purchased at the Snack Shack. Other activities include the Tree, Game, and Wetland trails, Warden Museum, Gardens, Guided Tours, Story Hour in July and August, Free Roaming Wildlife, Wildlife Talks, and Special Events.

Some of the special events for May include “Learning About Lobsters,” “Sparks Ark,” “Friends of Maine Wildlife Park Annual Plant Sale,” and “Maine Forest Service Day,” with special visits from Forest Rangers and Smokey the Bear. Maine Wildlife Park has night activities, too, like “All About Bats Night” on June 6th, “Wear Your PJ’s Night” July 11th, and “Halloween Night Hike” on October 23rd.

One of the big events for the wildlife park is their annual “Honor the Animals” Pow Wow held the second weekend in August of each year (August 8-9, 2009), rain or shine. Representatives of several Northeastern Woodland tribes will be at the park for two full days. The Pow Wow features dancers, drummers, craft vendors, singers, and traditional food booths. Special events are planned throughout each day. It’s considered a great and exciting opportunity to observe and learn about Maine’s rich Native American heritage and cultures.

The park is open daily at 9:30 a.m. The gate closes at 4:30 p.m., but visitors are welcome to stay until 6:00 p.m. The park fees are Children under 3 are free, ages 4–12 is $5.00, ages 13–60 is $7.00 and ages 61+ $5.00. A group of 15 or more is $3.50 per person. Photographers’ passes and Season Passes are also available.

Visitors are encouraged to visit the Maine Wildlife Park on the web at www.state.me.us/ifw/education/wildlifepark/index.htm for more information on the park, its events, and its many opportunities to experience Maine wildlife and outdoors. Their telephone number is 207-657-4977.

Curt Johnson said the park is “such a unique experience to be able to come in and see a lynx and a mountain lion, a coyote, all these animals in one place. How long would take to see all these animals? Some are very elusive. "In Maine’s wilderness, you may never see them all and you can see them right here at the Maine Wildlife Park.”

Experience Animalwize up close and personal with Maine wildlife at the Maine Wildlife Park in Gray, Maine.
Thank you to The Maine Wildlife Park and Pam Richardson
for sharing their beautiful photographs.