Maine Wildlife Park Maine Wildlife Park (visit in August 2021)

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zoo_enthusiast

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I have visited the Maine Wildlife Park last week. It's a nice park, operated by the Maine Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, with the focus on the species native to Maine. The only exotics were peacocks and common pheasants (however pheasants have been introduced in several states, including Maine).

Here is the species and exhibit list at the time of my visit:
  • Visitors' Center: terrariums for Eastern Box Turtle, Eastern Garter Snake, Common Milk Snake, Musk Turtle, and Wood Turtle. There is also an outdoors "cage" for a Snapping Turtle
  • Nocturnal House, currently housing Flying Squirrels (species unknown), Meadow Vole, and Deer-Mice. I have only seen Flying Squirrels
  • a row of enclosures for smaller mammals: North American Porcupine (single specimen), Striped Skunk (empty at the time of my visit), Fisher (single specimen, very active), Beaver (single specimen), Woodchuck (the enclosure is open-top and was very muddy, I did not see anyone); and Raccoons (two specimens: normal and albino)
  • a large paddock for White-tailed Deer (I saw an antlered buck and several does, including an albino or leucistic doe)
  • a nice enclosure for Canadian Lynx with glass-fronted viewing area, which appeared to be empty at the time on my visit, despite me returning to the enclosure a few times) and two adjoining corncrib cages housing a single Lynx; a chain link enclosure for Bobcats (saw two) is adjoining to a nicer Lynx enclosure
  • an enclosure for Cougars similar to the nicer one for Lynx (I saw 2 sleeping specimens)
  • 2 adjoining exhibits for foxes: Red Fox and Gray Fox. Both exhibits can be observed from the raised deck or from a viewing shelter through glass
  • large exhibit for Coyote (I only saw a single specimen, but the viewing was the worst in the park. The paddock is completely overgrown with bushes and weeds, there is no access to the chain link fence, and the only viewing area has only a few small viewing holes covered with dirty plexiglass)
  • nice exhibit for Black Bears (I saw two specimens: black and brown/cinnamon) featuring the pool
  • a paddock for Moose (I saw one large bull with impressive rack). The paddock has a lot of shade, trees, and mud hole, but no pool. There were one or two other even larger and more overgrown paddocks attached to this one, and it looks like the Moose can shift between them.
  • a small pond housing several species of native aquatic turtles (I did not note down the exact species)
  • Bird area, containing the exhibit for rescued backyard birds (at the time of my visit housing American Crow, Common Grackle, American Robin, and Mourning Doves), an aviary for ground birds (Wild Turkey, Peafowl, and Common Pheasants), and several cages for raptors (Barn Owl, American Kestrel, Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl, Bald Eagle, and Golden Eagle)
The park also participates in Maine Fish Hatchery program (breeding and releasing mainly trout), and there is a hatchery building on the premises.

Overall I had a very enjoyable visit. My only complaint is that some exhibits are not very photographer friendly, with lots of chain link fencing and plexiglass glare. But the park management is aware of these shortcomings and in the past they did allow one to purchase a special photographer pass which would allow for better photo opportunities. Unfortunately, they have paused the photographer pass program during COVID.
 
Based on your photo the flying squirrels are southern, since they have a white chest, vs gray in northern. Thanks for your post! Nice to hear a confirmation of the vole and deer mice.
 
TinoPup said:
Based on your photo the flying squirrels are southern, since they have a white chest, vs gray in northern. Thanks for your post! Nice to hear a confirmation of the vole and deer mice.
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Thank you! I haven't seen mice or voles though, despite returning to the exhibit three times. But they are definitely signed.
 
Maine Wildlife Park has to be one of the most humble yet inspiring locations I've been to up there. Such a diverse collection of wildlife local to the area that really does give you an insane amount of appreciation for an area of the United States that often goes unnoticed. I went a year or two ago right after the Moose died. Such a sad, tragic end. But still, one of my favorite locations.

Entire fish-farm area is a waste though. At least give me something at the end of that long ass walk.
 
The visitor center now has Blanding's turtle instead of musk turtle. Musk turtle can be found outside with the box turtles, however.

The nocturnal building still has vole and deer mouse signed, but I confirmed they haven't had either species in years and have no intention of replacing them. There were only a couple of flying squirrels.

The striped skunk exhibit had a sign saying it was "temporarily closed". Not sure what that means. I saw the woodchuck, and didn't see a white racoon. The fisher was the opposite of active :D I also didn't see any coyote, but that wasn't surprising given how the exhibit looks.

They are down to just the one male moose and he is on the older side at 9 years old. A few years ago they had 4+, hence multiple yards. No idea if they plan on getting more or will wait for one in need, etc. There's currently a year old male whitetail in the first moose yard. He was a fawn they had last year who heavily imprinted, so he couldn't be released.

The turtle pond sign says the same species they have elsewhere: box, blanding's, spotted, wood, painted, snapping, and musk. I only saw a couple of painted turtles, but plenty of bullfrogs.

The first barred owl exhibit is currently empty. There's an American crow in another one of the aviaries. Everything else appears to be the same.
 
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