On a wet and chilly morning, Ryan and I made a visit to Wildlife West Nature Park, located in Edgewood, New Mexico, about 50 miles east of Albuquerque. We happened to be staying with a friend nearby, so it was our first stop of the day.

Upon paying the entrance fees at the gift shop, we were handed a map with descriptions of the animals on the back and sent on our way. Each exhibit is marked by a number, which you can follow through the park. While the park sits on 122 acres of land, the wildlife exhibits can be seen along 2 miles of trails. There aren’t a whole lot of exhibits, but you can get quite close to the animals that are there.

Animals at Wildlife West Nature Park

All of the animals and birds of Wildlife West Nature Park are native to either New Mexico or the Southwest. All have been rescued in some capacity. The animals are unable to survive in the wild on their own, and therefore, are non-releasable. Placards throughout the park provide a description of each species, as well as a blurb with information about the animals. I borrowed some of that information for the captions below.

Morley the Golden Eagle (blind in one eye), Ernie the Great Horned Owl (he’s missing a wing), Dia the Red-tailed Hawk (muscle damage from wing injury)

Crested Caracara

Spirit the Bobcat reminding us that bobcats are just big cats

Elk getting up close, but not too close

Carrie-oke the Coyote giving us her howling pose and one of several Mexican Wolves at the park

Javelina

Gray Fox sleeping

Wile E. Coyote - Look at those paw pads!

Given that it was a weekday morning, we were one of a few groups of people in the park that morning. We enjoyed taking in the experience at our own pace and spending time at each exhibit learning about the animals.

Visit Wildlife West Nature Park

Wildlife West Nature Park
87 North Frontage Road
Edgewood, NM
505.281.7655
More info: wildlifewest.org