Maxwell AFB FamCamp — Montgomery, Alabama
Temps: Lo 32F / Hi 53F (0C / 12C)
Though it was a sunny day, and the temp reached its forecasted high, the feels-like temp was closer to 40F (4C). No problemo. This was our pack-up for departure day, so it wasn’t like we had anywhere exciting to be. A bit more cooking; a couple more loads of laundry; a couple of dipstick checks to make sure the Phaeton’s essential fluid levels were good. That pretty much took care of the day.
Arizona Coyote: the Indian name for the coyote means "The last Living Creature."
This is the ultimate compliment that a native American can pay an animal on earth.
Seeing as how there’s nothing exciting to report for today, I’m going to backtrack to our zoo outing on Monday (March 4).
The Montgomery Zoo is a fairly large facility located about 8½ miles (13½ km) from Maxwell AFB.
I’ve said this before; and I’ll say it again. There’s no doubt that Mui and I would much rather see animals where they belong … in the wild. But, “good” zoos have an important role to play in conservation efforts. They introduce people of all ages to animals that they would otherwise not know about or encounter in the wild. If such encounters instill in even a small percentage of those people a desire to protect these animals … and if even a smaller percentage go on to do something about it. Well, that’s how strides are made in the conservation and protection of the species … one small step at a time.
On a photo safari in Botswana, we were surprised to see how wary the lions we were
watching were of a badger that crossed their path. No wonder; just look at those claws.
Their elongated claws are an adaptation for digging out safety holes and food.
So, we went to the Montgomery Zoo. But that’s not what I am going to post about … at least 
Now that I’ve prepared you for seeing pictures of captive animals, I’m going to take the next step and tell you that I am going to share with you our visit to the Mann Wildlife Learning Museum (MWLM), which is adjacent to the zoo. This will entail showing you animals that were once alive, but which have since been killed, stuffed, and mounted in educational displays ... just like the two foregoing animal pictures; and the ones that follow. (Except for Mui; he’s still very much alive and kicking!)
The broch
to learning about wildlife conservation and preservation.” In all honesty, we didn’t know exactly what that meant when we showed our wristbands to the attendant just inside the door to the exhibit rooms.
Would we have skipped the place if we had anticipated that we were about to come face to face with rooms full of dead animals? Probably not since the MWLM turned out to be not that different from natural history museums we have visited in the past. The difference is that the Mann Museum focuses strictly on North American animal species.
At one of the “touch” exhibits, Mui feels the soft fur covering a piece of elk hide.
I still have quite a bit of reading to do about the MWLM, but from what I understand, the original facility was located in Opelika, Alabama. It was purchased by the Montgomery Zoo in 2003 and relocated here. The animals on display were taken by bow and arrow by the founder, George P. Mann, an outdoorsman and apparent authority on North American animals. He is also a hunting guide … something I have a hard time reconciling with his dedication to “wildlife conservation through education.” But his ‘hunting’ is not the story of this post, except in a roundabout way.
Many of the display cases are designed to show “live activity scenes.” The detail is amazing; the taxidermy professionally done. Mural backdrops help to visualize the animals in the proper setting.
“What's for Lunch in the Arctic" exhibit.
two Arctic wolves are shown in full stride as they chase down a caribou for a winter meal.
The paws of the Arctic wolf are covered in hair for better traction, warmth, and mobility.
There isn’t much in the way of signage, but after reading the placards in a couple of the display cases, I was impressed. In a short paragraph, quite a bit of information is conveyed … not just about the featured animal, but also about its environment, behavior, and interaction with other animals or humans. Some of the words explained details that might otherwise go unnoticed — like the meaning of the “scrape” left by a buck … and the answer is: it’s how he marks his spot.
The words used are simple, leading me to believe the intended audience is children, but I think it works for adults as well. We can (and have been) overwhelmed by too much information in some museums, thus losing our focus on the subject at hand.
 |  |
Left: The Alabama Flicker (or Yellow Hummer) is the state bird; it eats any type of insect
that is found under tree bark or larvae that is mainly found in dead wood.
Right: “Smart As a Fox” … an Arctic fox will eat anything from berries to
birds such as the willow ptarmigan, the state bird of Alaska.
I have to admit that with the great weather waiting for us outside, we didn’t do the museum justice. Still, we managed to spend a couple of hours checking out the over 270 displays on site … much of the time studying exhibits associated with some of the mega fauna we’ve been privileged to see in the wild … the polar bear; the brown, grizzly and Kodiak brown bears; the muskox; and the lynx (although the latter would not be considered mega fauna).
Mui tries to reach up and give the polar bear a hug … to no avail!
On our first visit to Alaska, we went up the Dalton Highway to the Arctic.
En route, we saw not one, not two, but three lynx stalking a hare near the road.
the scene we witnessed was nothing like this, but this display did bring back great memories.
The “Momma Didn't Tell Me” exhibit.
bobcats and porcupines are common to most areas of the US. Not all of nature's
lessons are instinctively known to each animal. Here, momma has just let her baby
learn that porcupines are not always a friend, playmate, or food.
I took a lot of photos — as might be expected. If you’d like to see more pictures from the museum, and read some of the extensive captions I copied from the signage at the museum, visit my online gallery here.
The Mann Wildlife Learning Museum turned out to be an unexpected gem; I’m glad we didn’t take a pass on going inside. Definitely worth the admission fee ($6/adult; a dollar off for those with military ID cards.
Next up … the zoo.
No comments:
Post a Comment