Alaska is known for wild animals from fierce brown bears to soaring eagles. The land is still wild and uninhabited enough for animals to roam the land with a freedom rarely found in other parts of the world. Viewing wildlife is not as easy as it once was, especially when you don’t want to travel to the remote parts of the state. The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center in Portage has a huge variety of Alaskan wild animals that have been rescued from dire situations. These animals are housed in safety and are open for the public to view them most of the year. This amazing center and brings the wilderness to you.
Interactive Map to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center here.
The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center lies in the gorgeous Portage area. Drive past Girdwood and the center will be on your right at mile 79 of the Seward Highway.
Many of the animals at the AWCC were either orphaned or injured before coming to live at the center. Animals are brought to the center to be taken in, treated and cared for.
Roosevelt elk live in Alaska on Afognak and Raspberry Islands, as well as at the center.
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Enjoy touring the 1.5 mile loop by foot or in a car. There are informational signs about the animals and how they came to be at there. Tour the vast acreage and see all the species!
The center is a sanctuary, and is housed in the incredibly beautiful Portage area. The location can be rented for special events like weddings and educational tours are available for groups wanting to know more about the animals at the center.
On site there are black, brown, and grizzly bears, wood bison, Sitka black-tailed deer, Roosevelt elk, arctic fox, tundra wolves, bald eagles, lynx, moose, musk oxen, owls, porcupines, and reindeer.
Wood bison, once thought to be extinct in Alaska, now live at the AWCC! The herd was started in 2003 with 13 bison and has grown each year. The plan is to rehabilitate the herd and release them back to the wild.
