Our Foothills Home and Wildlife Need Protection -- from our Panther

We lived in a beautiful community just south of Denver in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The hills you see in the picture above are out our east kitchen windows. Our property backs up to the Pike National Forest so I can always say it is part of our backyard. As you imagine, we have lots and lots of wildlife in our yard and we want to preserve our wildlife habitat while we live in the center of it.

Therefore, we have to be careful not to let our little black kitty Neko out. He would show no mercy to the wildlife! He has been cited by the Wildlife Habitat and Territory (WHAT!) society as being a danger to the environment and wildlife surrounding our home. Neko knows no fear and will defend his home against any and all alien wildlife creatures, including humans and the following critters we have found in our yard:

We have bears, ...

Mama bear and her two cubs

This is how close the bears are; that black spot just over
Ken's shoulder

... and lots and lots of deer:

Our front yard ...

... at the front door ...

... the back deck ...

... grove next to our back deck ...

... tasting the seeds from the bird feeders ...

... even trusting us with their newborns.

We have foxes ...

... and wild turkeys ...

... lots and lots of birds ...

... and yes, mountains lions.

Just outside our garage door

Yes, that mountain lion is just outside the window 

on the south of our house!

Nothing like looking out your window at the mountain lion and then she turns and stares at you!

We also have raccoons, porcupines, and coyotes. I didn't get pictures of the skunks. You can imagine why.

"TWAS" - The Wild Animal Sanctuary

"TWAS" is this incredible wild predator reserve for lions and tigers and bears (yeah, I know) and wolves and leopards that is just north of the Denver area.  I have supported this place for the past several years, but this was my first visit. I went with my husband Ken, my youngest son Dane and his girlfriend Christina. What a wonderful place! I could spend paragraphs and paragraphs describing it, but you can just go to the website http://www.wildanimalsanctuary.org/ for information and donating.

High Five!

We strolled through the sanctuary on an elevated walkway peering down on the animals. The theory is that the animals don't pay any attention to us because they think of us in the same way they think of birds. It was the heat of the day, so most of the animals were sleeping. Unfortunately, it made most of the animals look like they were either fake or dead. I think even Neko might not be able to take on some of these guys.

The only safe way to pet a lion

Bears Outside Our Windows

What a treat! When I went to open the window, I saw three brown shapes on the hillside. At first, I thought they were deer, but seemed too big and too brown. It was then I realized they were bears. It appears to be a mama and her two cubs, probably twins about a year old. That's a deer carcass, but I don't know if they found it or killed it themselves. Maybe I don't want to know.

See that brown spot over Ken's shoulder? That's our bears

Although you can't see it, Ken set up his video camera to take the close-ups. We weren't going out there! A mama bear with her cubs, guarding a carcass? I'm not sure we were safe in our living room.

There may not be the best pictures because they were taken through the windows and zoomed in. 

Watching

All kids fight.

That's the tree they were trying to hide behind.