Vacationing With Wolves

Submitted by Kelly Engler

When and where was the photo taken?
Northwestern University Alternative Student Break 2013 at Mission: Wolf, a non-profit wolf sanctuary in the remote Colorado mountains.

Who is pictured?
I am rubbing the belly of Abe, an “ambassador wolf.” I went to Houston’s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and now am a junior at Northwestern University, majoring in theater and psychology. I wanted to do something adventurous over Spring Break, and I’m especially interested in studying animal behavior as it relates to acting and psychology.

What is happening here?
The sanctuary was started by Kent Weber in 1986 to provide a safe haven for captive wolves. They believe that keeping wild animals as pets does not end well. Wolves are not domesticated like dogs, who have been bred to be subservient. Wolves prefer to interact with humans on their own accord. So Kent taught us the pressure-release technique. You ignore the wolves and let them approach you. Then, when they come around, you bare your teeth to them so they can smell you. They can tell your age, gender and mood, all from sniffing your teeth. To make them come closer, you do the opposite of what you’d normally do. With dogs, you’d usually pull them over and hug them. With wolves, you touch them only for a second (pressure) and then let go (release). This makes them want to come closer.

My favorite wolf was Farah. She licked all over my face and even knocked me over a bit. Kent told me to pull her in closer if I wanted her to back off. So I grabbed her fur and tugged her closer, and she quickly scooted back. She was high-energy and just wanted to lick me, but she doesn’t necessarily know how delicate humans are compared to her wolf strength.

Why is the photo special to you?
It embodies all that I learned at Mission: Wolf. I learned what it means to be sustainable and why that’s important. Learning how wolves operate opened my eyes to how to interact with these gorgeous creatures. They are not monsters; they are simply misunderstood. I hope more people will learn how to live peacefully alongside these creatures before they go extinct.

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