Still raining, but at least we have an indoor activity planned. We visited the
Rosenbrunch Wildlife Museum. This museum is stocked with stuffed animals that were hunted by the Rosenbrunch family on 5 continents and brought here. We were immediately reminded of our African Safari in Southern Africa as we saw many of the antelope variations we had seen in the wild. But the exhibit continues with North American mammals including bear mountain lion, Rocky Mountain sheep and goats and many types of deer and elk. Then comes Asia and many animals we have never seen. Most amazing was the
saiga antelope which lives in Siberia and has a huge nasal cavity to warm the air. This animal is faster than a cheetah, clocked at 70 mph. The exhibit is well done with a narrative that explains most of the animals displayed here. They also put in quite a pitch for how hunters have managed to save many species either through their trophy taxes or by transporting some of the last of a species to protected private lands.
Saiga Antelope
We headed up to the Kolob canyon portion of
Zion park, this has a 5 mile scenic drive with several hikes possible into the wild. The rain begins to pour one more time, but the land is very scenic. We stop for lunch in the pouring rain and finally give up on the weather. On the way down, however, a water fall has sprung up over the sandstone. We reach the bottom only to see the sky clear, so we head up one more time to see how the scenery has changed. The waterfall has disappeared, but the deep red colors really stand out now.
Kolub Canyon, Zion National Park
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