The Unique Park Everyone In New Mexico Should Visit At Least Once

A half hour drive east of Albuquerque lies a nature park that provides a sanctuary to rescued animals. All of the inhabitants of Wildlife West Nature Park found their way to this serene patch of New Mexico following some kind of traumatic event that left them unable to return to the wild.

The creatures are all native to the American Southwest. So a visit to this park allows you to learn a little about the flora and fauna that surrounds us. Of course, you’ll spend most of your time watching the birds and animals.

Residents include mountain lions.

In fact you can watch the park’s newest cougars (called Zia and True) on the Cougar Cam here.

One of the most watchable park inhabitants is Koshari.

This black bear seems to have turned lounging into an art form!

The caracaras are usually eager to interact with visitors.

You’ll also see mule deer…

And bobcats…

Wildlife West is home to some Mexican gray wolves, a rare subspecies of the gray wolf.

There are only a few hundred of them left on our planet. These ones came from Washington D.C. because their enclosure was in a section of the National Zoo that was undergoing renovations.

This nature park was founded by Roger Alink and it’s become much more than a sanctuary for birds and animals.

On Saturdays, during the summer, chuckwagon dinners take place at Wildlife West.

These include a hearty bbq feast featuring chicken, brisket, or vegetarian options. Dinner is preceded by a hayride, puppet show, and a free-flight bird demonstration conducted by a skilled falconer.

After eating, guests are entertained with live musical performances.

Tickets cost $25 for adults, $23 for seniors, and $12 for children ages 5 through 11 (younger children can attend for free). To make a reservation, call (877) 981-9453.

The park also hosts several popular annual events such as the Edgewood Music and Arts Festival.

This four-day long event (in July) has been running for 14 years. It focuses on bluegrass, Irish, and other acoustic types of music.

In June there’s a wildlife festival in the park and, each September, you can celebrate the season at the Harvest Festival.

Although these particular events are over for 2016, the park remains open year round.

From November until mid-March, you can visit Wildlife West between 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. The rest of the year, the hours are 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

This park is located at 87 N Frontage Road in Edgewood.

Have you been here?

To view some of the birds and animals that live in the Land of Enchantment, check out these incredible 15 Photos Of Wildlife In New Mexico.