As printed in the September 2011 issue of Echoes

Wild Animal Sanctuary Field Trip, September 24, 2011

To coincide with the fall sermon theme “Where the Wild Things Are,” the Sabbatical team is excited to offer a field trip to the Wild Animal Sanctuary east of Brighton, Colorado. This sanctuary is home to a variety of species including tigers, African lions, bobcats, leopards, bears, camels, and more. 

We will meet at the church parking lot at 11:30 a.m. and enjoy lunch together at a restaurant to be determined. Our group tour is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. and will last approximately an hour and a half, which allows us to be back in Evergreen by about 5:00 p.m. that evening. Non-COTH members from the community are invited to join us for this exciting excursion.

Cost is $10 per person, with no age restrictions. Most of the tour is handicap accessible.

Watch for further announcements and a signup sheet in the Narthex. Please RSVP by Wednesday, September 21st. If you have questions, please contact Kelly Krueger at 303-670-8406 or [email protected]

Wild Animal Sanctuary History and Information

The Wild Animal Sanctuary is the oldest and largest nonprofit Sanctuary in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to rescuing captive exotic and endangered large carnivores, providing them with a wonderful life for as long as they live, and educating about the tragic plight faced by an estimated 30,000 such animals in America today.

The facility has a unique system of elevated cat-walks and observation platforms which allow people to view the rescued animals enjoying their new life in large acreage habitats.

Suggestions from the Wild Animal Sanctuary Website:

When visiting the Wild Animal Sanctuary, you’ll be outdoors during most of your visit, walking on ramps and observation decks to view the animals. The weather should always be kept in mind when you prepare to visit the animals.

General – Wear comfortable shoes, and if windy, bring a jacket. The wind is always a little stronger high up on the decks than on the ground. Bring hats, sun screen and sunglasses. You can bring water, or we sell it in the gift shop (as well as at our Snack Bar). You are also welcome to bring picnic lunches and non-alcoholic beverages. The Snack Bar sells sandwiches, wraps, chips, candy and other snacks – as well as soda pop, water and other flavored drinks.

You are welcome to bring binoculars, cameras and video cameras if you are photographing the animals for your own enjoyment.

If you are a professional photographer, videographer, writer or artist, please contact the office, 303-536-0118, for guidelines.