Mission Wolf
Mission: Wolf Visit 4/26/08
Posted by jennifer on April 28, 2008.
We woke up early this morning and headed up the hill for breakfast in the new building. The thought of making food in the cold air was something we were not looking forward to. Kent, Joey, Anna and I went in with Raven to say hello and it was so great to see her again. Raven is my favorite wolf there and I have a bit of a weak spot for her. She gave Anna & Joey a big wolf greeting and they loved it. Raven's piercing brown eyes but her sweet demeanor was something I've missed since the weather turned to blizzard conditions and I coulden't get up here.
As I write, the wolves howl in the far off distance. I camp at the bottom of the hill with the dogs so as not to disturb the wolves and the dogs can run around, be free & play. The call of the wild has gotten into my blood again and now I feel really back in touch with mother nature.
Just to show you how smart the wolf is- I went in to re-visit Maggie after an incident she has not forgotten. Maggie was another one of my favorites but last summer I had to get one of her puppies out of her enclosure. She adopted and protected those puppies and when she saw me take one away, she re-acted naturally with a few warning bites to my face. Today when I tried to go into her new encloser after many months had past, as soon as she got my scent she let me know it wasn't a good idea to come in. Maggie watched my every move but as time went on, she relaxed a bit. I have high hopes to work through this over time having her put the past in the past as we move into the future as friends again. For starters, I will have her accept me fence to fence before re-entering the enclosure.
Now it's time for bed so I'll say goodnight...
- Jennifer
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Mission: Wolf Visit 4/25/08
Posted by jennifer on April 28, 2008.
Hello World-
I've made my first trip back to Mission: Wolf now that the snow has melted after a very hard winter in the San Juan mountain range. I've scheduled a trip at the end of Sept. to Denali National Park in Alaska to watch the wolves up there before the Grizzley's go back into hibernation.
Kent told me today that 30+ wolves were killed in Idaho this past week after the U.S. government removed them from the endangered species act recently. A lot of them are being shot by hunters for sport. We will wait and see if the wild wolf can attain a permanent residency here in the states off protected land.
Right now it's very cold and I have my two dogs- Lola & Elvis in my tent with me. I came down here with two clients from Boulder who had been interested to see what it would be like to meet a wolf face to face. Joey & Anna own a German Shepherd named Rambo & two other small dogs.
We built a substantial fire pit today by carrying large rocks and dirt from the forest. It's been really windy so everytime we made a fire, the wind carried the warmth away from us but now it's blocked in by big rocks and it makes a world of difference. Building something by hand from natural elements is the ultimate reward and it's fun to create something from nothing with no help from tools, etc. We were incredibly dirty but our fire pit is amazing!
Being out in nature like this is kind of like going to a spiritual place for me like a church. There's a sense of always being connected to something greater and it keeps you centered and living in the moment.
On Sunday I'm speaking to a group of CU students and an alternative highschool. They are very excited to hear how all of this wolf stuff relates to their domestic dogs at home. For now, Goodnight as my hand is freezing while I write...
All my best to you and your dogs,
Jennifer
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"Lily, The Beautiful White Wolf That Passed Away On a Snowy Day"
Posted by jennifer on October 14, 2007.
At around 2:30 p.m. mountain time today, I received an e-mail from Sandrine up at Mission: Wolf. An hour previous to the e-mail, Lily- a gorgeous white wolf had passed away from what may have been a tumor. Her brother Polar Bear had also had the same thing. She was having a hard time breathing so while taking a blood sample to be examined by the emergency vet, she took one last breath of fresh air and relaxed peacefully into the snow. In a remote location 9,000 feet in the vast wilderness of the San Juan mountains, Lily's heart stopped and she flew away.
It's not an easy time up at Mission: Wolf these days because the majority of wolves that have lived full, good lives are now in their geriatric stage. Rasta, another wolf had just passed away two weeks ago from injuries from a fight over food and about a month ago, Sabertooth- (the last remaining wolf from the famous Sawtooth wolf pack) was on his last legs but has since made a remarkable recovery.
As I head to Yellowstone faced with the possibilty that some people may not agree with keeping a wolf in captivity, I have learned that there is unfortunatly no other option. If you are reading this blog, please spread the word that wolves and other wild animals are not meant to be kept as pets. The fact is, mostly all of these wolves have come from a few different places in their lives and cannot return into the wild. They have either been abused, bought or sold on the black market, left to die chained to a tree or have been dumped at a local animal shelter because of owners not being able to handle them. A wolf is always a wild creature and we as humans should try to keep it that way. Once we take wolves into our homes, they become dependent on humans to survive and therefore lack any ability to survive in the wild. There are also wolf hybrid problems as well. If a wolf or a hybrid is dropped off at an animal shelter, it is euthanized, not put up for adoption. If it weren't for places like Mission: Wolf, these wolves would be dead but instead live a longer life than one might think. They live well beyond the lifespan of a wolf in the wild. Right now, Mission: Wolf is building an enclosure on 20 acers of land for these guys to run. The smallest enclosure is two acers. If you'd like to donate or become a wolf caretaker, please visit: www.missionwolf.com. The wolves will thank you for it and I'm sure, Lily would too...
Have a great week,
Jennifer
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Break Through
Posted by jennifer on October 29, 2006.
Today we had a huge break-through with Daisy. Natalie and Jon spent some time scratching her through the fence. She really enjoyed that human interaction. Afterwards, they went into her enclosure and Daisy went right up to Nat letting her scratch her and enjoyed licking Nat's face as a sign of greeting & submission. Later, Daisy let me scratch her through the fence and she sniffed my hand. When placing the dogs in the enclosure next to her, she gets so excited and happy. She wags her tail and runs back and forth trying to engage Elvis in play. I really think the time she has spent next to my dogs has been good for her. She may even do best with a young male wolf dog or dog as apposed to another wolf. The energy seems to work. The other wolves are too intense for her and she's not ready for that. What's also interesting, when I take my dogs out to go to the bathroom, she barks at them. Not out of fear but like a wolf that's stuck between nature and domestication. Compared to the last time I was here, she's settled down tremendously and seems much happier.
Talk to you on the next trip!
All my best,
Jennifer :-)
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They Weren't Kidding...
Posted by jennifer on October 28, 2006.
Today I woke up to minimal snow fall. I thought maybe the blizzard would turn out to be a dusting but boy was I wrong! When they meant a blizzard, they weren't kidding! When all was said and done, in a few places, the snow was up to my knees! The wind was blowing so hard as the snow came down in sheets of white. I had to put on my snow pants, boots, hooded jacket, etc. There wasn't much we could do with the wolves today except break the ice in their water buckets with crobars. I took Elvis, Dylan & Lola out to play in the snow and they went crazy playing. It was really cute.
Because many of the wolves here are in their geriatric stage, when the cold weather comes in their bones start to ache and some of them may have arthritus like Dylan.
Since I've been staying in the new building which is next to Daisy's enclosure, everytime I walk outside past her, she wags her tail and is happy to see me. I've been engaging with her in play & it's been a fun activity and also has bonded me closer to her. I really think she misses having human interaction and that's where the psychology of the dog instincts come out. She seems happiest around dogs or people but only at a safe distance. Natalie & I went in with her today and as soon as you enter her enclosure, she wants so badly to be affectionate with you. She also becomes very submissive and cautious of how close she gets. Some people have had instances where she has nipped at them but I believe this is not out of aggression but merely to her want and need for attention & affection. This wolf will do better around women than men only because she was raised by a woman and women can be less domineering in their energy. I've really found a soft spot for sweet Daisy.
I decided with one of the staff members to go sledding on a whim and make the most of the blizzard. I went down only three times because the walk back up in 9,300 ft. elevation with blowing, cold snow isn't fun. The dogs are sleeping now in the staff building as it's too difficult to carry all their beds back and forth in the snow. It's warm in there and they seem to like it.
Jonathan, Natalie & I took Elvis tracking in the blizzard. We were only able to lay a short track before going in because it was freezing!
I wonder how my tent is doing at the bottom of the hill and if I'll be able to make it out of here on Monday!
More tomorrow- Goodnight!
- Jennifer
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Blizzard On the Way...
Posted by jennifer on October 27, 2006.
O.k., now I know some of you may think I'm a big chicken for saying this but I'm spending the night in the new building with the dogs. Not really for my sake, but for the dog's sake. This morning when I got up to let them out, Dylan (my old male with arthritus) was shivering in the car and yelping as he re-injured one of his legs with all the exercise yesterday. I turned on the heat in the car in the car after they went to the bathroom and he warmed up and seemed to feel a little better. Another reason why I'm here is due to the fact that there may be a big blizzard on the way. It's fine for me in the tent but leaving the dogs in the car at night would be too cold.
I've been meeting some really interesting people up here. There are two girls from England- a zoologist and accupuncturist for animals. It's been very interesting talking with them and sharing ideas. Another girl is originally from South Africa. I love meeting people from around the world- it reminds me of boarding school.
Tomorrow I will begin a second phase of an experiment with the two other younger wolves- Solei & Orion. Yesterday before seeing them, I purposely put my dog's scent on me to observe their reaction. As young wolves, they were probably interested in being playful but they nipped and pulled at my clothing where I put the dogs smells. Tomorrow I will see (with a fresh pair of clothes) how they will react to only the human scent.
The dogs have still not howled but are engaged in constant play with Daisy through the fence. Goodnight from Mission: Wolf!
- Jennifer
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New Building
Posted by jennifer on October 26, 2006.
I'm so tired but I can't sleep. I went to bed relatively early last night so maybe that's why I'm awake. I was smart this time and brought my -20 degree sleeping bag... What a difference! At least I'm warm at night. One other trick I've done is lined the bottom of my tent with warm blankets to shield me from the cold ground. I'm sorry I don't have the temperature for you- I left my gauge in the car somewhere but I'll make sure to find it. Incase you'd like to know though- it's freezing outside! My dogs are sleeping very well in the car. They have their dog beds and many warm blankets. Yesterday Jonathan and I had some fun doing bite work with the dogs. He has experience with protection dogs so he suited up in all my gear and gave them a good workout. I also took the dogs for a nice long walk in the morning and they seem to be enjoying this experience as much as I am. I think on my next expedition, The North Face should sponsor me because I have all their gear! lol. I love The North Face because their stuff is made so well and lasts a long time. I heard that Rocky (the puppy I drove to Aspen the last time) is doing well. He was adopted out to a family but when they found out he had hip dysplasia, they returned him. Fortunatly, the guy who runs the Aspen Animal Shelter has taken him in to give him a permanent home.
The new building that has taken six years to build is coming along quite well. There is a volunteer who's laying the tile floor and there are a few steps that are being put in. When it's finished, it will be amazing.
Maggie, the Ambassador Wolf is on tour and won't be back until mid November. Right now she's in Rhode Island. Funny enough, Kent was confronted by an animal control officer who wanted to take Maggie because he claimed that since Pit Bulls weren't allowed in his state or juristriction, why should a wolf be? Kent had to call the Rhode Island State police to get him to back off and he finally did.
Since I left Mission: Wolf last month, it has snowed two or three times. I hope it doesn't snow this time just because of dealing with the mud and the dogs when the snow melts.
This time I'm camping at the bottom of the hill so the dogs don't disturb the wolves and they can have more freedom. I brought my dog trailer to put my things in so the dogs could have the entire back part of the S.U.V. It's worked out well except driving the car with the trailer hitched to it is always a little bit of a pain. Well, it's almost 6 a.m. so I better get up. Have a good day!
- Jennifer
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Daisy- The Wolf That Thinks She's a Dog...
Posted by jennifer on October 25, 2006.
Wow. What a day... Yesterday I tried to take a short cut up here and it turned out to be a long cut instead. What should have taken three hours turned into six. I didn't arrive last night until almost 9 p.m. I had to pitch my tent, feed my dogs, etc. Oh yea- I forgot to mention that I brought my three German Shepherds along this trip. I'm interested in observing if they will learn to howl from the wolves and their interaction with a wolf fence to fence. If you take three domestic dogs of various age and sex who have never been around wolves before, what will happen? Today we put my dogs in an enclosure next to Daisy- the wolf that thinks she's a dog. They had never seen a wolf before and as curious as they were, daisy was as well. When she showed her teeth to them, the dogs responded by barking. As the day went on and they got to know each other, Daisy took a clear likning to Elvis- my young intact male. She definetly wanted to play with him and was so happy to have a few dogs around her. Would she do better with a dog as a paired up partner than a wolf? Maybe so. As you may remember when I left last time, we moved Daisy next to Merlin in his enclosure. Daisy was flirting through the fence and this frustrated Merlin. After a while, he broke through the guillotine and tried to mount her. She didn't like that and gave him a good bite under his eye which turned into an infection. She wants so badly to be social but doesn't seem to know the proper protocal. She's very submissive to humans.
Last night my dogs heard the wolves howl for the first time. They weren't sure what it was and they looked perplexed. Elvis whinned a little but as far as being vocal, that was about it.
Well, I have a massive headache so I'm going to retire early...
Good night & be well,
Jennifer
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Mission: Wolf Take 2...
Posted by jennifer on October 24, 2006.
Well, here I am again in my tent at Mission: Wolf. Today was not good getting up here- It's so late and I'm exhausted so I'll write more tomorrow...
Goodnight!
- Jennifer
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Day Seven - Mission: Wolf
Posted by amy on September 24, 2006.
09.24.06 - 9:47 PM - LAST DAY
View all my photos from Mission: Wolf!
So yesterday the 45 animal behavior students showed up at Mission: Wolf. I tagged along on their tour to listen to Kent talk again about wolves and get another chance to see Maggie...
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Day Six - Mission: Wolf
Posted by amy on September 23, 2006.
09.23.06 - 9:45 PM - 34 degrees
Sitting Wolf
I had to move into the new community building tonight because forty or so students from a Community College are camping right near my tent. Not just near but my tent is the focal point for numerous tents around me.
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Day Five - Mission: Wolf
Posted by amy on September 22, 2006.
09.22.06 - 8:43 PM - 30 degrees
Mission: Wolf Headquarters
Every morning when I wake up, there's always something new and exciting. This morning, it was another foot of snow and it snowed the rest of the day...
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Day Four - Mission: Wolf
Posted by amy on September 21, 2006.
09.21.06 - 8:56 PM - 35 degrees
I woke up this morning around 5:30 AM to pellets of snow continuously hitting my tent. When I got myself warm enough to see what was outside, I opened my vestibule to a blanket of snow, harsh wind and freezing temperature. Inside my tent right now it's 35 degrees but feels much colder...
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Day Three - Mission: Wolf
Posted by amy on September 20, 2006.
09.20.06 - 10:02 PM - 32 degrees
Today was feeding day at Mission: Wolf. The cow from yesterday was cut up this morning into pieces and placed into buckets. Each bucket is weighed to accurately determine the amount the wolves are given to eat. The fresh meat was placed into several buckets...
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Day Two - Mission: Wolf
Posted by amy on September 19, 2006.
09.19.06 - 6:49 AM - 37 degrees
There seems to be a "Good Morning Howl" as I get up this morning. One wolf sounds similar to my Shepherd puppy Elvis when he whines out of excitement. I didn't get much sleep because I was pretty cold last night. I brought the wrong sleeping bag - big mistake! I've piled a lot of clothes on top of me to keep warm. Well, sounds like the beginning of a new day as far as the wolves are concerned. Better get up and make some breakfast...
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Day One - Mission: Wolf
Posted by amy on September 18, 2006.
09.18.06 - 10:00 PM - 39 degrees
Well, here I am at Mission: Wolf in the middle of nowhere, Colorado and when I say nowhere, I mean a very remote location. I arrived a little late tonight just as the refuge was closing. I was greeted by two volunteers who seem to have been working here a while. I didn't have much time until sunset so I got right to setting up my gear...
- Mission Wolf Posts
- Mission: Wolf Visit 4/26/08
- Mission: Wolf Visit 4/25/08
- "Lily, The Beautiful White Wolf That Passed Away On a Snowy Day"
- Break Through
- They Weren't Kidding...
- Blizzard On the Way...
- New Building
- Daisy- The Wolf That Thinks She's a Dog...
- Mission: Wolf Take 2...
- Day Seven - Mission: Wolf
- Day Six - Mission: Wolf
- Day Five - Mission: Wolf
- Day Four - Mission: Wolf
- Day Three - Mission: Wolf
- Day Two - Mission: Wolf
- Day One - Mission: Wolf