Mule Deer, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

Feeling better, Lynne and I headed east through Zion National Park early in the morning to look for wildlife. Our goal was to visit Coral Pink Sands State Park and then visit Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. We got good views of the morning sun lighting up some of the peaks in the park.

We were successful several times in seeing mule deer. Our first look was a group of about 15. We saw several more groups of mule deer throughout the morning. We also saw juvenile bald eagles, one adult, many ravens and a variety of other birds.

Our stop at the Coral Pink Sands State Park was at a bad time to take good pictures but it was beautiful and we enjoyed the birding.

Then, we headed to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary located in Kanab, Utah which is the largest no-kill animal sanctuary in the United States. On its thousands of acres, the Sanctuary provides a safe, healing home for up to 1,600 animals — including dogs, cats, horses, pigs, birds, rabbits and more — many of whom arrive needing medical care, rehabilitation, or simply a second chance at life. Operated by the nonprofit Best Friends Animal Society, it serves as both a refuge for animals who may never find permanent homes and a hub for adoption, volunteering, education, and tours that help further the organization’s mission of ending the killing of homeless pets nationwide.

Lynne and I visited Angel’s Rest which is a cemetery for pets who have crossed the rainbow bridge. Pets are either buried there or there are chimes hanging to memorialize a pet. It is one of the most touching places on the planet. I have been there before and tried to resist breaking down by focusing on the bird life, which was amazing. Lynne was sniffling so I thought it might be from whatever we came down with, but not so. Soon after, I lost it. I was wise enough to bring a box of tissue. It was quiet and peaceful.

While there, I saw ravens building a nest and a Woodhouse scrub jay.

Later, we went to the natural amphitheater and ate our lunch. While there, we heard what sounded like an enormous number of bees buzzing. I roamed around and found that the trees were just beginning to bud out and there were bees visiting the blossoms. The sound of all those bees visiting trees near the amphitheater resonated against the rock and was amazing.

On our way back through the park, the traffic was crazy. It was a warm Sunday and there was a lot of cars and people. We got back to the room and chilled.