From our wildlife ambassadors to rehabilitation patients and local wildlife, these posts tell the stories of animals that call Earthfire Institute home.
When the bears wake up, it is a wondrous occasion. The land begins to pulse with their powerful presence. They emerge slowly, tentatively—is it time yet? A nose. Sleepy little eyes. Fuzzy ears. One front leg reaches out of the den entrance. Another. Slowly, the front of the body emerges.
A few weeks ago, our very beloved fox Loki passed away due to kidney failure. He was with us for nine glorious years, quite long for a fox that had been so inbred. He was the result of a long-term breeding experiment in Russia to study the process of domestication.
Many years ago, Jean, Co-founder of Earthfire Institute, saw a magnificent old cottonwood tree stump lying on a sidewalk in Driggs, ID. It lay on its side in the hot sun, all of its limbs sawed off and strewn around it. It had been cut down to make room for
The day I was told of the passing of Teton Totem, one of Earthfire’s resident grizzly bears, many emotions washed through me: sadness, shock, and disbelief. However, what resounded within me as I made myself go through the motions of my day was an aching sense of regret. His death
One of the most beautiful things in life is when we are touched at our very core. When our preconceived notions are shifted dramatically in an instant, when what we thought we knew well is deepened. Thanks to Teton Totem, I experienced such a moment. Gazing into his enclosure, I
We want our bears to be really plump before they go into hibernation, and this fall, they weren’t plump enough for our comfort. Among other girth-widening foods, they were only partially eating their sweet potatoes. Our animal caretakers observed that Teton Totem was refusing his cold oatmeal– he wanted it
I remember almost all of them. Not all by name, but by other things—one pair of remarkably upright terrier ears, the way an enormous Great Dane tiptoed so timidly to her kennel door as I approached, the gentle bulldog who needed the folds of his face cleaned with a warm
It is a beautiful fall day. As I prepare breakfast, from outside comes a series of contented avian sounds. No, not our fine chickens—they tend to only make noises when they are squabbling (a universal feature of sentient Life I believe) or effusively celebrating the laying of an egg. Rather,
It was hot. Very, very hot. Teton has a thick bear coat and even in the shade it was difficult to cool him off. It bothered us. What could we do? He had shade cloth sprinkled with water, and cool watered grass to lay on, but he was still uncomfortable.
The result of a Russian breeding experiment, Loki is an unusual fox, different from the others in appearance, mannerisms, and heredity. Playtime in the animal garden had been somewhat lonely for him. The other foxes repeatedly rejected him. Although they had shown curiosity by circling and sniffing him, it was
When the bears wake up, it is a wondrous occasion. The land begins to pulse with their powerful presence. They emerge slowly, tentatively—is it time yet? A nose. Sleepy little eyes. Fuzzy ears. One front leg reaches out of the den entrance. Another. Slowly, the front of the body emerges.
A few weeks ago, our very beloved fox Loki passed away due to kidney failure. He was with us for nine glorious years, quite long for a fox that had been so inbred. He was the result of a long-term breeding experiment in Russia to study the process of domestication.
Many years ago, Jean, Co-founder of Earthfire Institute, saw a magnificent old cottonwood tree stump lying on a sidewalk in Driggs, ID. It lay on its side in the hot sun, all of its limbs sawed off and strewn around it. It had been cut down to make room for
The day I was told of the passing of Teton Totem, one of Earthfire’s resident grizzly bears, many emotions washed through me: sadness, shock, and disbelief. However, what resounded within me as I made myself go through the motions of my day was an aching sense of regret. His death
One of the most beautiful things in life is when we are touched at our very core. When our preconceived notions are shifted dramatically in an instant, when what we thought we knew well is deepened. Thanks to Teton Totem, I experienced such a moment. Gazing into his enclosure, I
We want our bears to be really plump before they go into hibernation, and this fall, they weren’t plump enough for our comfort. Among other girth-widening foods, they were only partially eating their sweet potatoes. Our animal caretakers observed that Teton Totem was refusing his cold oatmeal– he wanted it
I remember almost all of them. Not all by name, but by other things—one pair of remarkably upright terrier ears, the way an enormous Great Dane tiptoed so timidly to her kennel door as I approached, the gentle bulldog who needed the folds of his face cleaned with a warm
It is a beautiful fall day. As I prepare breakfast, from outside comes a series of contented avian sounds. No, not our fine chickens—they tend to only make noises when they are squabbling (a universal feature of sentient Life I believe) or effusively celebrating the laying of an egg. Rather,
It was hot. Very, very hot. Teton has a thick bear coat and even in the shade it was difficult to cool him off. It bothered us. What could we do? He had shade cloth sprinkled with water, and cool watered grass to lay on, but he was still uncomfortable.
The result of a Russian breeding experiment, Loki is an unusual fox, different from the others in appearance, mannerisms, and heredity. Playtime in the animal garden had been somewhat lonely for him. The other foxes repeatedly rejected him. Although they had shown curiosity by circling and sniffing him, it was
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Our website presents an aspect of relating to wild animals that many of us don’t realize is possible. We believe that all Life is deeply interconnected and we have much to learn from each other through meaningful, guided interaction led by professional animal handlers. Authentic reconnection results in action to protect wildlands and wild beings.
Earthfire Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. EIN 82-0525968
