Trip to the Wolf Conservation
Trip to Wolf Conservation Center
Friday, October 12, 2007
On the evening of Friday, October 12, 2007, nineteen Honors students hopped on a bus and headed to the
The Wolf Conservation Center (WCC) was founded in 1999 and is home to several species of wolves native to the
When students first arrived at the WCC, two members of the staff greeted them and invited them into a small building for some hot apple cider and cookies. There students were also given a basic education on wolves and the importance of wolf conservation. Students learned that wolves are scared of people and that there has never been a report of a healthy wolf killing a human in the
The guides encouraged everyone to let the wolves know they were coming by howling. Surprisingly, several wolves answered back with their own howls, each completely unique. Next, students took a short hike to see some wolves first-hand. Students sat in bleachers while the guide introduced them to four ambassador wolves. The first three wolves lived together in one enclosure. Their names were Apache, Lucas, and Kaila. Though the wolves recognized that the guide had food, only one approached the fence. Our guide made it clear that the wolves were not domesticated, and it was important not to treat them as pets. The fourth wolf, Atka, lived by himself. Atka is the only wolf from the WCC who goes out on the road to educate people at other venues.
Students were told that there were 13 other wolves at the WCC, but because they were part of a program geared towards releasing them into the wild, it was important to maintain as little human contact as possible.
The WCC is a private, not-for-profit organization and is, therefore, reliant on the charity of others to help it to continue to run. If interested in donating to the
