Where: McClelland's Critters, Alabama

Hi,
I am so glad to see you guys bringing the beauty of nature for everyone to experience. My husband and I have volunteered at a local zoo called McClelland's Critters in Banks, AL for 2 years now. Alot of the animals are rescued from the wild when they were either injured or abandoned. Often times, the mother has been killed. I find it so amazing to be face to face with tigers, bears, cougars, wolves, and all the other animals. The grace & the beauty the animals have is simply something that is hard to explain. I don't see how anyone would see these powerful animals and not want to save them from being endangered or extinct. I have been a member of WWF, NWF, Save the Tiger and have even passed laws in my area to stop "Canned Hunts." We can make a difference and together we can do so much more. Help me to save the wild and keep their beauty and grace alive for generations to see.

- Elizabeth

Where: Grand Tetons, WY

After a true wild experience in the Tetons and Yellowstone we finally had to pack it in and leave this spectacular place for home. Little did we know we were in for one more round of wild! On the way to the Teton airport we were scoping the scenes for one last glorious look when out of nowhere it seemed this huge black bear (first thought it was a griz) appeared in the field near the road. I was with team "big boy" and the one driving pulled over and in his excitement honked the horn just as I was getting out of the car to get some pics. This sent the black darting towards the car at a speed I didn't realize he could hit. I took cover behind the car as he roared by.

This is the sight. Enjoy and go!

- Bill

Where: Yosemite

This is from my solo trip to Yosemite NP in 8/08.
About 3am I heard this bear going thru an irresponsible neighbor's food bag he had taken from a picnic table.
This bear was only about 20 ft. from my tent.
We yelled & made all sorts of noise but it was like he was deaf. I actually got in my car for this photo. I started the car, tapped the horn & only when I revved the engine did he decide to leave. Or.... did he just finish what he was eating?

- Debi

Where: Yosemite National Park, CA

The air was warm, the sun was nurturing, the Mustang I drove was topless like the mountains around me. Yosemite. I felt sky high and I could not restrain myself from pulling over and putting rock under my feet. I walked to the edge to greet a breathtaking vista. It was surreal; I was lucid. I turned to one of my companions and said, "This is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." He looked over with purposeful mischief in his eyes and volleyed, "This is nothing." I laughed but later realized he was right. The scene that so took me was the least of all I saw that day. During the assent to Half Dome's summit we stopped, sipped water, slowed our breathing and remembered that our God said that these are just the shadow lands. To think, because of God we will live to know the galaxies as old tales. What wonders would we see? Even now, like the cabbie in the Chronicles of Narnia, if I had known there were things as wonderful as this I would have lived a better life.

- Tony

Where: Shenandoah National Park

This is a black bear sow in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. My son, Gabriel, and I spent SIX HOURS observing this mother bear in April. We knew she had cubs because we could see her lactating nipples and she kept very close to this tree -- she was quite groggy and lethagic, sleeping often throughout the afternoon. But why was she not with the cubs? Where were they? It was not until late in the afternoon that she climbed the tree and crawled into her den -- a big hole about 20 feet up! A while after she climbed in, as darkness began to fall, we quietly approached the base of the tree, and while standing directly under the den could hear the blissful cooing and murmurings of happy cubs nursing at the breast of their Mama... What a moment, what a day!

- Daniel