Page 63 - Travel Guide Fly Alaska Edition
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Susi Zimmermann                          Bill Feller



















       ANAN WILDLIFE OBSERVATORY




                                            Wrangell,Alaska






                                             A generation or two ago,  Anan  Wildlife   and  nestled  in  the  Tongass  National  Forest,
                                           Observatory was only known to the locals of   the  observatory  offers  visitors  a  chance  to
                                           Wrangell, Alaska.  Before the observatory, the   be  within  feet  of  these  giants  of  the  forest.
                                           photo blind, trail and stairs, there  were only   Anan  Creek  was  an  ancient  fishing  ground
                                           salmon and the bears.  Tourists  wandering   for the Stikine Tlingit clans who would catch
                                           into Wrangell had to be convinced to take an   and preserve the large salmon run for their
                                           hour boat ride, land on a rocky beach and hike   winter food reserves.  Today this creek still
                                           into a dark, overgrown forest  with only the   has one of the largest pink salmon run in
                                           guide they had just met a few hours before.   Southeast  Alaska. Both black and brown
                                           But for those brave individuals who listened   bears are attracted to the creek with mainly
                                           to local guides, they were rewarded with an   mothers, their cubs and juvenile bears taking
                                           experience right out of a high adventure novel.   advantage of the abundance of fish.
                                             Today, Anan Wildlife Observatory is a world   Dee Galla, Outdoor Recreation Planner for
                                           class bear  viewing destination. Located 30   Anan with the Wrangell Ranger District, said
                                           miles southeast of the town of  Wrangell   that during the July-August salmon run there




































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