We are surrounded by beauty, magic and connection on a daily basis here at Earthfire. The native land on which we reside. The majestic Teton Mountains to our east. The iconic Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem of which we are a part. The wild ones we work with and the connections we form with wildlife and nature—it’s all incredible and deeply gratifying work. Our hope is that by sharing the intimate stories of our animals and our heartfelt mission, you will be inspired to protect habitat in your area—no matter where you are in the world. Wildlife and nature need habitat to flourish.
Our dedicated animal care team works 365 days a year, no matter the weather. The animals need food, water, and medications. Our team also ensures the gardens are secure, makes repairs, and deals with animal emergencies. As essentially a working ranch, every day at Earthfire presents unique challenges, as well as rich rewards.
So far this winter, snowfalls have been few and far between. The first real storm, just ahead of Christmas, brought extremely strong winds. As the wind whipped through the property, tree branches groaned, the chickens hid inside their coop, and the metal roofing over Tahi’s enclosure began to break loose. Not only were we concerned about it blowing away, but the noise panicked the nearby wolves. That meant sending someone up on a ladder, in strong winds, onto a steep metal roof covered in snow. Fortunately, we were able to band-aid the roof for the remainder of winter, but now it is a critical fix as soon as we can raise enough funds. During the same storm, our snow fencing outside the animal gardens tore, threatening to blow across the property.
It has been unusually warm and dry this winter—so warm, in fact, that a Grizzly was spotted in Yellowstone out of his hibernation den in late January. Due to the warm temps, Ramble and Bramble have not had a “deep” hibernation. They are awake inside their dens, getting up occasionally for a quick drink of water. They normally awaken in early to mid-March, but if winter conditions remain the same, we anticipate seeing their lovely faces much sooner.
While we are nervous about the lack of snowpack to provide summer water, our animal caretaker, Bojack, recently captured this video of sanctuary bison Nima joyously celebrating the little snow we do have. She got the zoomies and really wanted Bojack to play with her.
Sadly, we also began to notice that Sprite the fox had a decreased appetite. We took her to the vet and were greatly disheartened to learn she has cancer, which is not uncommon with foxes bred by fur farms. There is nothing to do other than keep her comfortable as long as we can. We bought her a new memory foam bed and installed a heat lamp for her. It is devastating to lose an animal, and we are worried about her constant companion, Lightfoot. How will he respond when his life-long companion leaves him?
And so it goes… we deal with Life in all its beauty, joy, difficulties and sadness—a challenging but rich way to live, indeed. As we head into spring, there will be more trials and tribulations. More joy and more reward. We hope you will join us in experiencing them.
