While the Mission offers a unique historic and cultural experience, nearby Saguaro National Park is the perfect place to become immersed in nature. Dotted with towering saguaro cacti, some of which are as much as 175 years old, this enormous stretch of lush Sonoran Desert is teeming with unusual flora and fauna. Although it’s fun to hike in the park, and keep a sharp eye out for animals, one of the best places to see them is at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum where many species of creatures native to the area are on display. They are easiest to spot at opening time, right after they’ve been fed breakfast, because they are out and about, not sleeping in their hiding places. We were among the first people to enter the museum, and we were treated to closeup encounters with a big horn sheep, wolf, fox, javelina, mountain lion, bobcat, ocelot, thick billed parrot, tropical fish, and other unusual animals native to the expansive Sonoran Desert which spans the states of Arizona and Sonora, Mexico. We loved getting close to the animals in the natural habitat that fills their enclosures, and were especially smitten by a mountain lion who Arizona Sonora Desert Museum
kept approaching the glass to have a better look at a little girl. But it was the Raptor Free Flight event that really sent our spirits soaring. Held daily, we found ourselves in a crowd of people staring up at the sky as the presenter told us which kinds of birds would be flying by. With each species, an assistant would go into the aviary and ask the birds if any of them wanted to fly out and get a treat while the presenter held a handful of raw quail meat on the far side of the crowd. Since they leave it up to the birds to decide who will fly over to get a treat, there’s no knowing exactly which birds you will see. The first bird that chose to come out to us was a raven who flew right to the presenter’s gloved hand for a snack. A great horned owl came after, and his feathers were truly noiseless as he flew down to the presenter’s hand, grabbed the meat, and flew off to a branch to enjoy his meal. The last bird to swoop by was a peregrine falcon. It was flying totally free without the leather hood on its head that falconer’s typically use. The falcon was an acrobat in the air, and we were awe-struck watching it zooming around and diving from great heights.
The raptor free flight at the Arizona Sonora Desert Musuem
Children delight in the animals on display at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum
In spring enjoy the colorful blossoms of various cacti
TUCSON DELIGHTS
COAST TO COAST MAGAZINE FALL 2022 | 13
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