Walking with Wolves!
Since we
have been together, Mark has frequently heard me say that I would love to be
kissed (licked) by a wolf – preferably without being eaten for dinner! On
Friday, that dream came true!
Several months ago, Mark spent quite a lot of time researching on the Internet to find out if there was anywhere in Western Canada where we could have an opportunity to get up close and personal with wolves. He finally came across the Northern Lights Wildlife Wolf Centre in Golden, B.C.
It just so happened that we were going to do a repeat house/pet sit in Blind Bay, just 3 hours away from Golden. Knowing that we would be able to leave the cats for an extended period (with the blessing of the home-owner), he booked a private tour on their program, ‘Walk with Wolves’.
On their website, this program is described as an interactive
wolf walk where “visitors can embark on a leisurely hike with some furry
members of the Northern Lights Wolf Pack. On the hike, we will join the pack as
they lead us through their natural habitat on the western slope of the
Blaeberry valley where the jagged peaks kiss the skyline and glacial rivers
descend through the evergreen forest. For most of the walk, our wolves are free
to run and scamper through the landscape, and they sure do treat you just like
one of their own pack members.”
This
promised to be an ideal experience, so Mark booked us in for a private tour on
a date that coincided with our stay in Blind Bay.
The tour was
due to start at 9:30, but we knew that we would have to leave extra early
because we would be crossing into a different time zone, (thus losing an hour),
and there were several road construction areas on the route. So, on the night
before the visit, we set the alarm for 2:30, the next morning, with the
intention of leaving at 3:00, maybe stopping for a coffee on the way. Retiring
uncharacteristically early at 7:30, we managed to get a few hours kip to keep
us fresh on the journey.
Setting off promptly at 3:00, we journeyed
through the dark, anticipating the various delays on the way. Fortunately, (or
unfortunately!), most of the construction crews were not working through the
night and so we arrived at our destination a good two hours before we were due
to enter.
We parked on
the dirt road, outside the centre, and tried to snooze for a bit. Within
minutes, Mark woke and opened the car window as he had heard the wolves howling
and he knew I wouldn’t want to miss that. For me, it is one of the most magical
sounds to be experienced in Canada.
After a few seconds, you can hear the wolves howling, behind the crows' chorus
After other
attempts to snooze, we abandoned our efforts and, desirous of answering the
call of nature, we chose to drive into the town of Golden, about 10 minutes
away, to visit Tim Horton’s so we could grab a coffee and use the facilities
there.
Upon our
return, the gates were opened for us and, with car parked, we joined Shelley –
our guide for the encounter – as she told us about how she and her husband,
Casey, got involved with this venture.
Peppering
her with questions, we found her story very interesting and uplifting. The
centre exists mostly for wolf conservation and educational purposes, and they
extend their mission into schools, as well, in order to ensure that as many
people as possible gain a better understanding of the role that wolves play in
the wilderness, and of how much they have been misrepresented and misunderstood
throughout history. This was very much in line with what I used to teach my
students in Elementary School, so I was thrilled to be in the presence of an
expert who was living according to her convictions. She told us that she actually gave each school a copy of my favourite book about wolves, that demonstrates the things about which we had been discussing.
The wolves,
who were all born in captivity, live in a 1.25 acre enclosure, but are
exercised regularly, off-leash, in the wilderness so they are happy and healthy.
On these walks, they are actually so free that they can run off and not return –
and, in fact, that has happened – at least once!
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| The Enclosures |
It is during
these walks that the opportunity for people to walk with the wolves in their
natural environment occurs.
Shelley asked
us to sign a waiver to acknowledge that, although the wolves are socialized,
they are still to be considered wildlife and are, therefore, unpredictable. She
gave us instructions in the ‘do’s and don’ts’ of the walk and then, armed with
this knowledge, Casey brought out Flora – the wolf whose turn it was to walk
that day. She was safely boarded into the back of one van with Casey driving,
while Shelley drove us in a separate van, along a dirt track road for about 20
minutes, and into the Blaeberry Valley, with its river twisting and turning in
between two mountain ranges.
Once we were
out of the van, we stood still and waited for Casey to release Flora into the
freedom that she so enjoys.
Surprisingly,
she didn’t take much interest in us, but immediately went about exploring her
surroundings, sniffing everything and anything in her path.
Casey went
ahead as he had seen another vehicle in front of him, and he wanted to check out
where the driver went so that they could keep him and the wolf in separate
areas, for the safety of them both. It turned out that he was gathering firewood
on the other side of the river, so all was well.
After a while,
she did venture near us and we were able to pet her for the first time. It was
an extraordinary feeling to be so close to her, and to feel quite safe.
Flora led
the way, and we followed her wherever she went. Sometimes, we stopped and took
in the reality of where we were, and what we were doing; at other times, we
slowly followed her in her exploration of the environment and watched how she
behaved in the wilderness. It was wonderful to see her roaming freely, wherever she wanted to go.
We spent
about one and a half hours with her – and we have to say that the last 20
minutes was breath-taking.
We were told to stand in front of a felled tree root, and then Flora jumped up onto the trunk and started to interact with us in a very personal, and wonderful way. With the help of treats, she posed for several photographs – and it was during this time that I received my wolf-kiss for which I had longed from eternity! It was another one of those magical moments that stay with you for the rest of your life!
Mark also had his fair share of kisses, too! At one point, she was licking Mark's head, and he was laughing so much! Unfortunately, that picture didn't come out. 😕
Sadly, our
tour was drawing to a close as we all boarded our respective vans for the
return journey to the centre.
Once there,
we bade farewell to our hosts as they were about to set off upon a group walk
with another wolf.
As we drove
away, my heart was full of appreciation and gratitude to Mark for organizing
this exceptional experience for us.
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| Emma - who we met in the gift shop |
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| Casey and Shelly |
If you would like a read-aloud version of the book, Wolf Island, for your children, here's a link: Wolf Island by Celia Godkin It's a delightful book which tells the story of how the island depends upon the wolves, and the effect of their absence upon the whole ecological system.
