I never will get quite used to a enormous tiger casually flopping down in the dust 4 feet away from me and my sketchbook. Visiting and drawing at the
Wildlife Waystation in the Los Angeles National Forest is probably one of the most amazing things I ever get to do, and thanks to a generous invitation from
Gary Geraths, I got to go once again this last Sunday. This place is a sanctuary for native, wild or exotic animals that otherwise could not be cared for. They house everything from llamas to zebras to coyotes, chimps, lions, bears and a liger. They are always in need of donations to help keep their operations running, and anything helps! If you like animals and have a few dollars to spare, its an amazing place and the animals
need all the help they can get! Feeding a few prides of lions ain't cheap.
Anyway. I drew some animals. The drawings do not do justice to how
amazing it is to see these animals close up, so close you can hear a
mountain lion sigh in the hot hot sun.
This coyote, River, got nervous having people watch him, and paced about until we let him alone. The wolves, one of which was named Dakota, only came down their hill to see if we had any food to give them, and then retreated to the shade of the trees farther away when they realized it was not lunch time.
Leopard print isn't as tacky as your aunt's worn out mini skirts make you believe. So luxurious and shiny and heavy paws and tails. There was a leopard in another cage that kept growling and hissing at us, which is quite impressive, especially when he looks directly at you from the shadows and bears his giant fangs! He was safe in his sleeping box, though, and calmed down after a bit.
This is a Siberian Tiger, who was enormous and soo wanted everyone to cuddle with him. He kept rubbing against his chain link fence and making chuffing noises at us. It was really hot out, thus the open mouths, panting away.
A Serval, which is a giant-eared, lanky African savanna cat. Next to him is Rangoon, a old, somewhat scraggley-maned Bengal tiger. And another view of the hefty Siberian tiger from above.
and, of course - a compilation of lions, tigers and bears! The mountain lions had adolescent cubs, who were lounging about on top of their sleeping box, looking just as bored as any teenager in the summer.
Soo again,
Donate to the Wildlife Waystation! They rely entirely on donations, and are doing something very rare and very kind to lovely creatures that have had a hard go at life.
Thanks again for letting us come and draw!
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