Seeing Alaska is on every sporting bucket list. It’s a dream of many to fish, hunt, or just witness the majesty of this spectacular land.
Anchorage becomes a revolving door that offers a quick entrance to that long-awaited fishing or hunting trip. It’s often the beginning or ending point for cruises.
Yet one of the real gems of Alaska is just down the road. The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC) is home to a dozen species of wounded or endangered animals that rehabilitate on their property.
The woodland caribou, for example, was thought to be extinct until a small heard was discovered in Alberta. Today, the center has a herd of more than 150, including a bull that will weight nearly 3,000 pounds. Half of the herd will be reintroduced into the wild in 2015. 
Bears are one of the special attractions, with the AWCC home to three grizzlies and two black bears. All were given to the center by Alaska Department of Fish and Game as cubs and now are ten years old or older — with a prospect of 40 years of life for the big bruins.
All animals are contained, yet allowed to roam, hide, and, in some cases, breed.
Ironically, the musk ox are the most dangerous animals; the center staff has more precautions for handling them than the brown bears.
I’m currently in Alaska with Wounded Warriors David Guzman and Kevin Mc Mahon, who are the subject of Project Titan, a product launch to benefit the these two veterans. We had a few free hours in our schedule and slipped away to visit the center, where we had an incredible time.
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