While Murphy enjoyed Doggywood during our recent Smoky Mountain Getaway, Wayne and I enjoyed Dollywood. And we truly enjoyed it. Especially me, because at every turn I discovered this was no ordinary amusement park. In addition to the exciting rides, craftsman exhibits, and great food, there was also an emphasis on animal conservation.
Eagle Mountain Sanctuary
As far as birds go, Dolly is definitely for them. In particular the bald eagle. I’m not sure exactly how many eagles call the 30,000 square foot aviary known as Eagle Mountain Sanctuary home, but what a nice one they have! (And apparently it’s the largest aviary of its kind for “non-releasable” bald eagles.)
I saw two in their nests when we went by the area. I’ve had the thrill of seeing bald eagles in both the wild and in captivity before, but as they did on those occasions they took my breath away again. It was truly a delight to find such a habitat at Dollywood.
But apparently they don’t just sit there and look pretty for spectators. They also get into the act in a 25 minute show called Wings of Prey – Birds of America. (We missed it. There wasn’t enough time to see and do everything unfortunately.)
Untamed Illusions
However, we did make it to this show, which featured disappearing and suddenly appearing tigers and dogs.
The Fercos Brothers put on a show unlike any I have ever seen before. A person would go into a box, they’d drape a sheet over it, and you’d never know what was coming out. (It was never whatever went in.)
Whenever I see animals used in acts I take pause and feel uncomfortable. (Similar to how I feel about animal movies.) But the Fercos Brothers clearly love their big cats. They showed a home movie of them raising the cats from babies, the cats interacting with their human kids and other pets, and even the cats on vacation at the beach and in snow!
And at the very end of their program they explained that their mission in using the cats is not only to entertain but also to educate. They want people to be aware of how close to extinction some of the species are and how important conservation is. (Yes, I had to dig out the tissue just like I do at the end of animal movies.)
Birdhouses Dollywood Style
As I’ve written a couple of times, I’m really into birds. Take for instance the birdhouses I was eying in Shopping the Sales: Cool Christmas Clearance for Pet Lovers. They’re nothing compared to some of the birdhouses I admired on Dollywood’s grounds.
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