In situations where wild animals cannot be released back into their natural environment, it is essential to find a facility that can cater to their highly specialized needs. The Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary is dedicated to providing consistent, quality care for our amazing animals for the rest of their lives. In keeping with our mission, all of our animal residents are native to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, so they don’t have to adapt to an unfamiliar climate. Whether they’re here because they were orphaned, injured, or habituated, they help us with our conservation education work and bring joy into the lives of thousands that come to visit them every year.
Bart
Arriving in 2015, Bart had a severely damaged wing that left him unable to fly. He shares an enclosure with our female raven, Lisa, and they are a mated pair. They enjoy shredding sticks into small pieces and moving them around, however they have never successfully built a nest. Reserved like Lisa, Bart keeps his distance when keepers are working in the enclosure, however like a true gentleman he always comes down to investigate any changes first.
Big Bird
Big Bird came to YWS after care at a rehabilitation facility for a wing injury. Between the injury and becoming imprinted on humans early in life, Big Bird cannot live in the wild. But he still brings out his wild side, stretching his wings and jump-dancing with the animal care team, playing in water from the hose, and bugling when planes fly overhead.
Bluebeary
"Blue" was found orphaned on the Flathead Indian Reservation, and due to her young age would not be able to survive in the wild. Black bears typically stay with their mothers, learning how to survive for up to 1.5 years. Not a fan of winter, Blue goes into hibernation earlier and emerges later than her roommate, Bo. Only about 25% of black bears in the Rocky Mountains have a white patch of their chests, like Blue.
Bo
As an orphan, Bo was found by loggers in Missoula. They cared for him for a time, and then he was taken to a rehabilitation center. Bears get habituated to humans providing food quickly and because of this association he can not be safely returned to the wild. Except for winter hibernation in his den, Bo spends his days lounging in the water tub or in his specially built hammock.
Bob
Bob started life as a pet. Because he was accustomed to human care, unafraid of people, and declawed, he could never live in the wild, and he was surrendered to YWS. Bob enjoys playing with scent-filled stuffed animals (mink urine is a favorite) and chowing down a whole deer or elk head, meticulously removing the meat from the bone. He became more active when our younger bobcat, Mackenzie, joined him in the enclosure.
Bobby
Bobby is the oldest bird at the sanctuary. Brought to YWS by a rehabilitation facility, Bobby had been caught in a barbed-wire fence, and the resulting wing and muscle damage makes it impossible for her to fly. She enjoys sitting under a heat lamp and watching keepers feed nearby YWS residents.
Chris Pine
Despite surgery to repair a fracture in his right wing, Chris does not have the ability to sustain flight and can only get up a couple feet at a time. Montana's state run rehabilitation center, Montana Wild sent him to YWS. His perching is set up so he can readily get around his entire enclosure. In early 2024, Chris was introduced to the sanctuary's older Red-tailed, Mia.