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Journeys
''; Big game, marine life find safe havens Former Disney hand provides a home for animal movie stars Brian Clark, For The Olympian SEQUIM -- For the first three decades of his life, Lloyd Beebe hunted cougar, bear and other big game animals on the Olympic Peninsula.
But as he grew older, Beebe gained more pleasure from filming animals than killing them.
Using many of the same skills to take pictures that he had honed stalking and slaying animals, Beebe gained experience as a wildlife photographer.
"I had a dream," he wrote in his autobiography. "I hoped that one day I could stop milking cows and spend all my time out in the wilderness shooting animals with a camera."
His dream came true.
In 1951, he was recruited by Walt Disney and worked closely with Disney's studio over the next 30 years on projects around the globe.
Beebe frequently returned to his 40-acre dairy on breaks from filming. Over time, the farm became home to all kinds of exotic animals, many of which appeared in Disney films.
Nearly 100 feature films were made at the former dairy, including "Never Cry Wolf," "Nikki, Wild Dog of the North" and "The Incredible Journey."
The 80-year-old Beebe is still putting in long days at his spread, taking care of the grizzlies, zebras, buffaloes, rhinos and big cats that live there.
Visitors to the Olympic Peninsula can tour the 200-acre farm on foot and in their cars, getting a chance to see the big game from only a few feet away.
In some cases, only the width of auto window glass separates zebras, deer or buffaloes from the human visitors.
"We still do a little filming here," said farm spokeswoman Michelle Waye. "But for the most part now, we're set up for tourism and education."
Just inside the gate at the farm is a petting zoo for children. It has bunnies, pygmy goats, llamas, rheas, prairie dogs and hedge hogs.
Not far from the petting zoo, but behind a strong fence, is one of the more popular creatures at the farm: a 400-pound female grizzly named "Bozo." She sports 6-inch-long claws.
Bozo starred in all three "Grizzly Adams" movies as a male bear named Ben, and also appeared in the television series of the same name.
"We got her when she was only 2 years old," said Waye. "She's 35 now. She's real easy to work with, though her last film 'work' was 18 months ago."
Waye recommends that visitors spend at least two hours at the farm to see as many animals as possible.
Many people start with the walking tour. It is led by a guide who walks visitors through the compound area where predatory animals are housed in cages.
Guides introduce people to animal movie stars and show them how the beasts were trained. Living in the compound are several endangered species.
Animals in the predators section include lions, tigers, jaguars, cougars, leopards, lynx, fishers, timber wolves and servals.
Once finished with the walking tour, which leads past a movie set and aquarium, most visitors hop back in their cars.
Visitors must stay in their vehicles as they make the 3.2-mile loop through the grazing fields. But they can feed the bison, yaks, fallow deer, mouflon sheep, a white rhino and zebras with bread, fruit or vegetables.
A note of caution for curious visitors: Drivers need to keep their windows and sunroofs closed to keep pesky animals out.
From an observation tower at the top of a hill, you can get a good look at the lands below where the animals live.
For the finale, motorists drive through a gate into a field where buffalo roam freely.
"Some of the animals we have were donated by zoos that were going to put them down," Waye said. "We certainly can't take all excess animals, but we have taken some."
AT A GLANCE
Getting there: Go north on Highway 101 to Sequim, turn right at the second stoplight in town and follow the signs.
Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily during the fall and winter.
Cost: Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and $7 for children ages 6 to 12. Youngsters 5 and younger are admitted free. Other rates apply during the summer months.
Tours: Walking tours end after the first week in September, but driving tours are offered year-round. Discount group tours are available, but they must be booked in advance.
For information: Call (800) 778-4295. The Olympian Copyright 1999
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