Theo Glimpses Long Ago Alaskan Native Life

 How long can we string Theo, the gangster cat, along? We're still in the Anchorage Museum, but we've left the dog section, and I can see the expression on his face--what now?

Living in Alaska is very different than living in the contiguous United States. Living in Alaska hundreds of years ago was like living in a very different world--relying on the sometimes unforgiving and cruel natural world around you for food and clothing. 

We stroll through the exhibits. 

Boots for a wet, snowy and cold climate:

Gloves:

Decorated boxes to store things in that give us a glimpse into their world:

Baskets to carry things around:

Beatifully decorated pouches to carry personal items:

Handmade canoes to navigate the rivers and streams:

All these are practical day to day products that the native people needed to survive harsh wet snowy winters.

Then we stumble upon the objects that make their culture so special--masks and wooden carved animals:

Theo was trying to be an interested museum goer but for a cat it's all about sniffing and touching what you see with your paw. When interesting artifacts are behind glass, it's hard for him to make a connection. Once or twice he smacked the glass, hoping that he could  break through or cause what was stashed behind the glass to suddenly come to life . . . we're not sure. 

As we were about to leave, we pushed Theo to tell us if there was anything he liked.

He thought for a moment. Finally he pointed to the wooden carved figure of a seal. We were impressed. A cat "art aficionado"!

Theo is Inspired by Dogs in Alaska

 We have to be strategic. Theo, the gangster cat, loves the zoo, but he is not a fan of museums. Things behind glass. Written words explaining the history. But here we are--stuck in Anchorage for an extra day because of a flight delay--and decide to go to the Anchorage Museum.

It is massive and impressive. Our first thought--what will Theo like?

Dogs. We rush up to the exhibit which explains the pivotal role that dogs played in Alaska. 

They were part of the fur trade, mining, missionary activity and were the primary means of transportation between communities, pulling people, goods, and mail across vast distances. Like the mailman, weather was not a deterent. Dogs followed networks of frozen rivers and narrow trails through the mountains. 

During the Klondike Gold Rush of 1896-1899, dogs were considered more reliable than horses to haul goods and tools. At the turn of the 20th century, laws were passed in Alaska to protect the dogs. In the 1930's air travel and in the 1960's snow machines working dogs became less common, leading to dog racing in the 1970's. 

Balto is one such dog. When the city of Nome had a deadly diptheria outbreak in the winter of 1925, communities worked together to transport life-saving serum from Seward, 1,000 miles away. After the medicine was shipped to Nenana by train, twenty mushers and their dog teams relay raced the final 500 miles. Balto was the lead dog in the final leg of the serum run (in the midst of a terrible blizzard.)

Nanuq, a one month old Australian Shepherd, survived one month on the frozen Bering Sea in 2023, traveling over 150 miles, surviving on seals and birds. He had a polar bear or seal bite on his front paw, but made it home to his owner.

Theo loves every minute. We pick him up so he can get closer to the paintings and photos on the museum wall. 

"Well, what do you think?" we ask him. 

We hope Theo's been super patient, super interested and, we think, super inspired by all the stories. After all, he hasn't once meowed for a snack. Rather he glances at Dan and gives him a few eye blinks. Then he meows. Theo's way of saying, "All is good."

We high five each other. Life is good. Today is good. Then Theo meow whispers, "Felix."

Felix the Cat. We know exactly what he's trying to tell us--cats can be heroes too!

Can Theo Make Friends with his First Lynx?

 The Alaska Zoo is a big success. We're able to see animals that just aren't in other zoos. Before we arrive, we figure three hours to walk around. We end up spending the entire day here. 

I don't think Theo will ever want to go home. 

I'm a big fan of wolves. I can't explain why. In Yellowstone years ago I heard them howl. I often visit a wolf sanctuary in western New Jersey started by a wildlife photographer. You can see them rather clearly there. In Yellowstone you rarely see them except through high powered binoculars. In this zoo, they are a few feet away, which is a real treat.  

Magnificent. Four subspecies of wolves exist in Alaska. Most adult wolves weigh 85 to 115 pounds. They reach adult size by one year old. 

Theo watches from a distance. I point out that seeing a wolf this close is a kind of miracle. If Theo could snort, he would.

We move on to an animal I've never seen in another zoo. The lynx. They are part of the cat family (lions, snow leopards, etc.) but the distinctive horns on the top of their head give them an unusual look. The lynx can live up to twenty years in captivity. They weigh 30 to 40 pounds and they eat snowshoe hare. Lynx have been known to travel over 400 miles to reach their preferred food. The lynx are endangered in most the United States but their populations are stable in Alaska.

Theo, recognizing a kindred spirit, raises one of his paws in a kind of salute, but the lynx will have nothing to do with him. 

On to the short eared owl. We stand outside the fence trying to see him. He is well hidden in the bushes and plants. Finally Theo spots him, but no matter what we say, he won't come out.

"Maybe he's shy," I tell Theo, but I couldn't be more wrong. 

Like most cats, once Theo sees what he wants to see, he won't be deterred. As he stares, we talk and share some extraordinary facts about this owl.

Their life span in captivity is fifteen years. They weigh less than a pound but their wingspan is between 38 and 44 inches, which means they can fly 15 to 20 miles an hour. 

The greatest danger to owls are humans who shoot them or hit them with cars. Short eared owls are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act which makes it illegal to harm or kill the owls.

What is most interesting is how one owl will court another owl. They will fly up to 1500 feet in the air and then dive at high speeds. They also sing, clap their wings, and motion erratically with their wings. 

Pure showoffs.

Finally, we're standing in front of two ravens. A raven can live 30 years in captivity. They weigh less than 3 pounds and are part of the crow family. Ravens are also in danger from humans who shoot, trap, poison or hit them by cars. They're also protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. 

Ravens have been revered for centuries. Alaska's Native people saw the raven as the creator of the world and the bringer of daylight. Tibetans believed ravens were the messengers from the Supreme Being. The Irish thought ravens were all seeing and all knowing. 

They are highly intelligent birds who will hide their food and store surplus supplies and can even remember where other ravens hide their food and return to raid those sites. Ravens have over 30 distinct calls and can mimic other birds.

Ravens like to play. They harass wolves and steal their prey. They've been known to lead hawks to their prey and then chase the hawks away and eat the kill themselves. 

Ravens mate for life but if a mate dies, they will move onto another raven. Ravens have been found at high altitudes, even on top of Mount McKinley. 

I know of ravens from Edgar Allen Poe . . . quote the raven "Nevermore." 

I share all of these tidbits with Theo, but frankly a bird is a bird is a bird. He's interested. I warn him. "Don't mess with a raven. You're not going to win."

As we're walking towards the exit, Theo is moving slower and slower. Dan finally picks him up. "Can't stay here forever," he says. 

Theo meows. Our gangster cat had a very good day!

 

Theo and Bullwinkle the Moose

Zoo time. Theo is loving every minute of our jaunt through the Alaska Zoo. This gangster cat, smile on his face, adventure in his heart, is moving from exhibit to exhibit (after we get him away from the falcon and the bears.)

"Theo, look here." I lift him up so he can see the eagle in all his glory. 

We launch into a too long explanation of the eagle--a large powerful bird with sharp eyesight, hooked beaks, and strong talons who are 28 to 40 inches long and weigh up to 14 pounds. They can spot prey from over a mile away. And there are over 68 different species of eagles who live in Africa, Eurasia and North America. They mate for life and build massive stick nests for their families. Wild eagles can live 20 to 25 years. 

Theo listens politely but honestly in his mind, an eagle has one commanding feature--it's a bird.

We drag him away from the eagle. A coyote is lying on top of his house, resting. Now, in Kenya on safari years ago, I saw an entire coyote family--replete with children coyotes and a babysitter coyote who kept watch over them while the parents hunted for food. 

This coyote has a partner hiding in the bush. 

I know what you're thinking--coyote? Aren't they responsible for untold murders . . . My response--they're fighting for their own survival. Animal experts call them the Ultimate Opportunist--over the years they've adapted. They used to prey on camels and horses during the last Ice Age. Then they competed with wolves for food and even in some cases bred with the wolves. Although they're often viewed as pests or threats, the truth is  that if you keep food away from them, they will continue to live their lives and pose no threat.

Coyotes can run 40 miles an hour and are excellent swimmers. They're also called the Song Dog because they have a high pitched howl ending in sharp yips. Two howling coyotes can sound like a dozen.

Theo decides he doesn't want to get too close to a coyote. So we move forward to see the swans. They are another species who mate for life, and there they are--looking elegant and they splash, swim and meander in the water. 

We've saved the best until last. The moose. One of my favorite animals. As a kid I watched the Rocky and Bullwinkle show, the adventures of a flying squirrel and a charming moose. Years ago I went up to Maine on a moose safari. The only problem was that moose are most active at dawn and dusk--the hardest times during the day to see them.

Luckily here, at the zoo, we can get incredibly close to this moose, and we marvel at its size. Even though in North America, the moose is the tallest and second largest land animal (only the bison are bigger), the moose is considered a gentle giant. 

The crazy thing is this moose looks exactly like Bullwinkle. Theo sees the resemblance too and wants to make friends. He gets up close to the fence and thrusts his paw into the enclosure. The moose glances over and then lumbers closer. I can almost hear him thinking. Who is that? Theo, an avid fan, meows hello. The moose makes a deep grunt. 

If Theo could find a way in, he would, and I can almost see him, squeezing through the rungs on the fence and leaping onto Bullwinkle's back to go for a ride. 

Theo makes one more attempt. "Friends?" he meows.

Bullwinkle snorts in reply and then goes about his business. We notice his one horn is damaged. Perhaps, he's being rehabilitated and not in the best of moods.

Oh well. But, still, it isn't everyday you get a chance to meet a famous TV and comic book star!

Theo and the Three Bears at Anchorage Zoo

 We know what you're thinking--Theo and the Three Bears--we're stepping into a fairytale but no, we're wandering around the zoo in Anchorage to see the bears. Now there are bears in other zoos, but it's not often we get to see the bears up close. 

First stop . . . we have the chance to see what we haven't seen for a long time--a polar bear. Even though we're farther away that we'd like to be, we can still catch a glimpse of him. Polar bears used to be at the Philadelphia Zoo but no more. So this is a real treat. Why?

It comes down to statistics. Polar bears evolved from brown bears nearly 200,000 years ago. They are the largest land predators in the world. In captivity, they can live forty years. In the wild, that number is reduced to twenty years. Male bears can weigh 1300 pounds. Females weigh near 600 pounds. They eat seals and whale carcasses. The global population is less than 25,000 bears due to arctic warming, global pollution, and increased human activity which squeezes them out. In 1973 five countries signed an agreement to protect the polar bears. That is why they are a precious sight to see:

It's not often we get to see bears eating a watermelon, but we're getting ahead of ourselves.

Theo spots the black bear first. We are only a few feet from him, separated by the bars of a cage, but we can smell him even from this distance. Theo can't get any closer and if he were smaller, he probably would have squeezed his body through the bars. 

"He may eat you," we have to remind Theo. "Not all animals are friendly. This bear isn't Smokey the Bear's brother or cousin."

Of course, Theo knows that, but he is intrigued. Bears are one of the mysteries of life.

I am on high alert, far enough away to give Theo space, but close enough to whisk him away if there's any danger. There isn't.

This bear doesn't give a hoot about Theo. He's interested only in the watermelon that suddenly appears. He can smell it and he'll eat it. 

"This is fun, isn't it?" I ask.

Theo is mesmerized. It's not everyday you can watch a black bear eating a watermelon.

Finally, we move on . . . to bear #3, the brown bears. Brown bears and grizzly bears are the same species. Brown bears live on the coast and hibernate when food is scarce in winter. Their body temps, heart rate and metabolism becomes lower. Brown bears in milder climates don't hibernate at all.

Bears love salmon and will tolerate hanging out with other bears in a large group when the salmon are running. They also eat plants and large prey such as moose or caribou.

Bears also quickly associate a food source with a human and that's when they become dangerous. It is illegal to feed a bear or leave garbage where they can access it or kill a bear that is attracted to food or garbage. Bear attacks on humans are rare. From 1900 to 1985 only 20 people have died from bear attacks. On the other hand, humans are a bear's biggest threat to survival.

In the wild these bears can live for 30 years as compared to in captivity where they can live for 40 years.

Male brown bears can weigh up to 900 pounds. Females usually weigh closer to 500 pounds.

As we're slowly walking away, I can't help but say, "Now you know how Goldilocks felt with her three bears."

Theo is not amused. This last bear, the brown bear, is quite a character. He naps on top of the table, then leans against the table as if he's posing or, perhaps, thinking about life. 

Theo's Zoo Visit-From a Falcon to a Reindeer

 Traveling with a gangster cat isn't easy. Sometimes we have to bribe Theo with treats, but not this time. From Theo's point of view, there's nothing that beats going to the zoo. 

Dan, Theo and I go to the Philadelphia Zoo all the time. We've visited the zoo in Washington, DC to see the elephants. We've hung out with the koala bears in San Diego. We've been to zoos all around the world--Rome, Beijing (to see the panda bears), Hawaii, London, and even the Schonbrun Zoo in Austria.  

Of course, since we're in Anchorage we must go to their zoo--founded in 1969 to conserve the Arctic species--and see animals we don't usually see up close and personal. How will Theo react to animals he's never seen or sniffed before? That is the question. Who will his favorite be?

The air is cool, and the sun is almost shining. It's the kind of day that when you take a deep breath, you taste the power of Mother Nature at her finest.

First stop is a Peregrine Falcon, which has an interesting history. Human have hunted these falcons since 2200 BC in China. Even William Shakespeare enjoyed the sport. The peregrine was always admired and reserved for hunting with royalty. These falcons themselves hunt all kinds of birds and are the fastest birds in the world (we're talking 238 miles an hour) when in pursuit of prey.

Peregrines declined in the USA due to DDT pesticide (banned in 1972). Falconers helped to breed and release over 5,000 peregrines from 1974 to 1999, when they were removed from the endangered species list. 

Theo is all agog. After all, the Peregrine Falcon is a bird. His fondest wish is to stalk, sniff and hopefully catch a falcon. Ha. Ha.  We literally have to drag Theo away from the falcon.

"There are other animals to see." 

We spot what looks like a buffalo but is really a Tibetan Yak and Theo is instantly mesmerized by this glorious animal with the funny horns. 

"Theo, this is a domestic yak. The males weigh up to 1200 pounds and can live for 25 years. In contrast wild yaks live between 14,000 and 20,000 feet in cold, oxygen poor air. They have extra red blood cells for carrying oxygen and two extra rib pairs for deep breathing. Less than 10,000 wild yaks remain alive as compared to twelve million domestic yaks who live on the Tibetan Plateau. Yaks fear hunters, cross-breeding efforts, disease from the domestic yaks and livestock grazing that push wild yaks from grassland habitats.

 

Theo has no comment. He wants to get closer to the yak and at one point reaches his paw through the fence. Unfortunately, the yak is conked out (mid-morning snooze) and doesn't react. 

A Bactrian Camel is next. This is the second time we've seen a camel in a zoo, but their wild brothers live in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia and China. The desert has harsh conditions--rain once every three years and sandstorms that can blow the paint off a truck. But the camel has long eyelashes, clear eyelids, ear hair and nostrils and lips that seal shut. They can survive temperatures of 40 degrees below zero to 120 degrees above zero, can drink salt water, and have survived nuclear testing in the Gobi Desert. 

The domestic camel can carry 600 pound loads for 30 miles a day. 

There is something intoxicating about a camel. Theo and I took a camel ride in the Sahara Desert and we met a baby camel in Morocco so Theo has no fear. He cat walks up to the fence and meows. "Just let me sniff you," he seems to be saying. But the camel prefers not to. 

Next up is a Caribou. "Look at those antlers, Theo."

Why does a Caribou look like a reindeer?

Answer: In Alaska caribou is a wild reindeer. In Europe all wild and domestic caribou are called reindeer. Geez. They can adapt well to Arctic conditions. Their fur is hollow and well insulating. Their hooves are hard for ice traction. They can live up to 20 years in captivity and 10 years in the wild. They weigh between 300 (females) and 600 (males) pounds. An adult reindeer can eat twelve pounds of plants a day. 

We can't resist talking about Santa Clause and the reindeer. Theo listens patiently, rolls his eyes only a little and as soon as we're finished, lobbies for a snack. One more thing--we talk about how climate change has affected the animals. 

By this time his cat eyes glaze over.

He's right. We need a break. As we're walking to the very small cafe/counter where there's food, I have to ask him. "What's your favorite so far?"

He doesn't miss a beat. "The falcon."

Of course. Birds on the brain always if you're a cat.

Eagle Eyed Theo Spots Salmon

 Theo, the gangster cat, and I disagree on one thing--salmon. He loves any kind of salmon--chicken and salmon, salmon by itself, tuna and salmon . . . while I eat salmon religiously once a week and can only do so if I cook it in an air fryer and smother it in a tangy teriyaki ginger sauce. 

Nevertheless, we're both keen to watch the salmon run in Anchorage which occurs May through June for the chinook salmon and July and August for the hatchery seeded coho salmon.

I know little to nothing about salmon. Experts promise that in August you can see literally thousands of salmon making their way up Ship's Creek, which lies in the industrial heart of Anchorage. Ship's Creek runs through the port and alongside the ocean waters of Cook Inlet. 

So, of course, after a delicious lunch we trek to Ship's Creek, following a touristy kind of map which is mostly accurate, but not really. I'd like to say that it was our superior navigation skills that land us in the right location so we can look down from a kind of boardwalk and see the salmon, but that isn't true. I can only attribute our success to Theo and his amazing sniffing ability. 

Amidst the mud and sledge flats, fed by ocean waters, the salmon run. But here's where seeing the salmon gets tricky.

Dan and I are there in exactly the right spot (according to Theo) but see nothing. Theo, however, is intently looking down, his tail wagging a mile a minute, and we fear that soon he'll decide to jump off the boardwalk into the water. He has that stalking look on his face. And he's bouncing up and down, as if ready to pounce.

He sees something. We see nothing.

According to the experts, coho salmon are a dark metallic blue color with greenish blue backs in the ocean, but when they enter the creek they go through a hormonal change and turn a deep dark muddy green or charcoal gray color. That's what we're looking for--green or gray.

The sun is shining brightly. Dan grabs ahold of Theo and holds on to him for dear life. We're not amateurs when it comes to this gangster cat who will stop at nothing when there's food involved. 

"Theo, Theo," I hiss, "Do you see anything?"

Theo, ever patient with mere humans who can see yet not see--when it comes to those things most important--points his sleek paw at the precise spot in the water where we should see something. 

A miracle happens. Suddenly the water isn't just water anymore. It's chocked full of what look like long narrow black fish, crammed together (yes, like sardines in a tin can). 

We stay for a long time watching the salmon run. Eventually Theo realizes we're not letting him jump into the water and get swept away. He relaxes somewhat (if that's possible) and watches the show. We learn that it's not unusual for the salmon to appear black in the water. We can thank Mother Nature who's designed what they call "countershadowing" to camouflage the fish if the All Fishing Prohibited sign doesn't work.

If you see one up close and personal, they appear almost silver with black spots on their back. The fish meat inside is orange colored. 

When we finally walk away, I feel like a salmon expert. Theo, on the other hand, squinches his cute face, rolls his eyes, and meow whispers, "Dream on."