Yellowstone animals are magnificent and deserve our respect and admiration. Let's take a look at a few of them with Mimi and McAveler.

Yellowstone Animals are protected but that does not mean that they are tame! Yellowstone National Park lies mostly in the state of Wyoming but also extends into the states of Idaho and Montana

Mimi, we're city kids and we've visited lots of big cities. How would you like to jump to someplace wild, before there was ever such a thing as the US Park Service?

You mean like Central Park in New York City? That's right in the middle of a huge city.

No Mimi, I mean to what is now called . But in the past. When only the Yellowstone animals and a few native americans lived there. I'd love to see the Yellowstone animals.

It would be fun to take Chico Chihuahua with us but since he doesn't get along very well with that cat, Snowball, who lives next door, I doubt that he would get along with the mountain lion.

Mountain lion, asked Mimi, in alarm? Is it safe where we are going?

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my, teased McAveler!

Yes, Mimi. It will be safe because we won't get near the animals, there are no tigers, and we won't feed them. Besides we can always just jump back home if there is any trouble.

I suppose you're right, McAveler. You better be. But how can you be so sure?

Don't worry. I've already asked Chico for his advice on how to get along peacefully with .

I feel so much better, knowing how well Chico gets along with that cat Snowball and all, replies Mimi, still unsure about whether or not a jump into the old Wild West was such a great idea.

OK then, take my hand and let's jump to Yellowstone............

Here we are! Ooohh, how beautiful, exclaimed Mimi!

McAveler, why do you suppose they named this place Yellowstone?

Well, just look at the mountainside along this river. What do you see?

I see yellow rocks, says Mimi.........aha, yellow rocks, yellow stones, so they called this place Yellowstone! Now I get it, exclaimed Mimi!

Ooohhh McAveler, ! That is the cutest thing I have ever seen, gushed Mimi!

I'd like to just scoop them up in my arms and take them home with me! Can we, McAveler? I don't see their mother anywhere. Maybe they are orphans.

Mimi, snap out of it! Their mother is around here somewhere and she would not let you take her babies. The last place you want to be is between a mother bear and her babies! Or between Chico and Snowball.

Besides, we promised not to get close and not to feed the Yellowstone animals, remember?

Of course you're right, McAveler. But why are they fighting?

They're just play fighting, Mimi. That is how they learn the skills they will need to be grownup bears someday.

Hey, what is that pool of stinky water? Phew, it smells bad!

It's a sulphur pool, Mimi. Did you know that Yellowstone is what's left of a huge volcanic eruption that happened in the far distant past? There are many hot spots, sulphur pools, and geysers in Yellowstone that remind us of what lies just below our feet.

Again, I ask you, is it safe here, questioned Mimi?

Well, like any volcano, it could go off again someday but I think we are safe for the moment.

Just look at that beautiful Steller's Jay, Mimi. He's guarding a nest, see the eggs? How cool!

McAveler, over there. Look! What is that Yellowstone animal with the long neck that looks kind of like a llama? So beautiful!

I think it's a young female , Mimi. You are right. She is very beautiful.

I wonder, what do these animals do when it's wintertime in Yellowstone?

Holy cow, McAveler! What is that huge, strange looking Yellowstone animal in the water over there. I have never seen anything like that.

Oh wait, I saw something like that on TV once when I was little. I think it was called a bullwinkle. Is that animal a bullwinkle, McAveler?

No, says McAveler, choking back a laugh. That is not a bullwinkle. But it is a bull. A .

They are very temperamental creatures, we better slip quietly away from here.

Mooses are very strange looking, whispers Mimi. Or is it meece? How do you say two of them, McAveler?

You say two moose, Mimi.

You also say two deer! And look over there at those two little deer playing in the meadow. Little baby deer are called fawns. Look how high they can jump! It's a good thing they are learning to be so agile and strong before winter comes.

Winter is hard on Yellowstone animals.

Hey look, somebody lost their pet german shepherd puppy, exclaims Mimi! Here boy! Can we take him home to play with Chico?

Oh no, Mimi, that isn't a pet. That is a wild coyote. Don't get near him. Some people don't like coyotes. But I think they are sleek, clever, and very useful Yellowstone animals.

What a beautiful little squirrel-like thingy, exclaimed Mimi, letting her city-girl side slip out momentarily! He is so darling. But why are squirrels so little in Yellowstone, McAveler?

Well, Mimi, that isn't called a squirrel. It's called a chipmunk. They are much smaller than squirrels and spend lots of their time on the ground instead of in the trees. Our grandpa had pet when he was a little boy.

Mimi, watch out! Look carefully over there. See that big Yellowstone animal that looks like a huge cow with horns? That's also a temperamental and sometimes dangerous animal. We had better slip quietly back away from him. Shhhhhhh......

What WAS that huge thing, McAveler? I never saw a cow that big or that ugly! And my heart is still pounding and my hair got caught on a branch as we were leaving!

When we are safe at home, I'm going to

make a ponytail holder craft

to keep my long hair out of trouble!

He wasn't ugly, Mimi, he was a beautiful . Most people call them buffalo. The buffalo made it possible for entire nations of native americans to have food, clothing, and shelter.

Chico said that there were around 14 different indian tribes that lived in or around Yellowstone before the white people came here.

Ummmm, McAveler, I don't want to seem uninterested in your history lesson but I did read and there is one of them over there across the river right now! What do we do now, gasped Mimi?

I can see he's a grizzly bear.

Well, we make lots of noise so he knows we are here and he'll probably just go away.

It's not good to surprise a bear in the bushes. But like this, they'll normally just slip away into the woods if they hear people. mostly prefer to avoid people if they can. Still, they are very unpredictable so you never know. See, he's leaving now.

We should learn more about the grizzly bear when we get home.

Speaking of home, we better get back, says McAveler. It's almost time to feed our wild animal.

Our wild animal? Chico Chihuahua, wild, laughed Mimi? Chico sleeps on the couch in front of the TV!

No no, laughed McAveler! I was referring to the hungry wild animal in us! How about we make Mimi's easy and delicious, flourless, no-bake "A Grizzly Bear Was Here" cookies to celebrate our trip to Yellowstone?

Look, McAveler, that bear over there on the hill.

I really think he's waving goodbye to us! How extraordinary! What a nice bear!

Goodbye Mr. Bear.

Maybe we'll see you again one day.

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