Note: this article covers our enrichment program for wolves. Coming soon - articles on our programs for primates, canines and felines.

by Dennis Kroeplin & Rachael Komulainen

Wolves

Enriching the wolves and wolf-hybrids’ lives has been both the hardest and the easiest project the enrichment committee has tackled. We discovered very early on that the wolves and hybrids do not play with toys. (If you can’t eat it, then it can’t possibly be important!).

Think Like A Wolf

Navarre, one of our adult timber wolves

We started out with "boomer balls" filled with rocks to make noise. We rolled them around on the floor of their enclosures but they just laid on top of their den boxes and watched until we got tired and went away. Next, we sprayed the balls with "predator lure." They came down from the den boxes and urinated on them because, evidently, the smell offended their delicate sensibilities.

We tried hard rubber balls that bounced and Kong Toys that bounce in unpredictable directions. We even tried battery-driven balls that roll around on their own. The indifference was thunderous! We had to stop thinking "dog" and begin thinking "wolf."

Question: What do wolves find interesting? Answer: Members of their pack, running, water and anything that they can eat - not necessarily in that order.

Pack Mentality

Wolf Pups Arizona and Teneya are members too

We now have a "hybrid team" of fifteen volunteers who walk hybrids three times a week. We have become a "pack" and have been trying to get them what they need. We run with them, play with them or just sit, brushing them and paying attention to them.

Personalities Emerge

We’ve also been doing some training; much the same as dog training. It gives them something to think about and something to achieve. It has been wonderful to see their individual personalities emerge and see the confidence building in the really shy ones.

Timber is our "star." He is very "dog-brained" and really wants human approval. He works on hand signals, without verbal commands. His best trick is "wounded dog" where he lies on his belly with one paw underneath and drags himself forward. (Yes, this is the same marvelously-trained animal who ate a hole in the bedroom wall of his last residence; he wanted his own entrance. And, no, they still don’t make good pets!)

Trust Begins

Midnight and Tammi Fae are our two shyest hybrids. Both of them just flatten to the ground when approached but we are beginning to see the first signs of trust in them. I don’t think I can put into words how incredible it was to see Midnight out of his enclosure for the first time; it literally took months of patience! It turns out that the easiest part of enrichment is the personal attention.

Never Done

Aisha is just being introduced

There are some other enrichment projects now going on at the ranch. Our adult timber wolf pack: Navarre, Windwalker and Spirit just got a swimming pool dug in their enclosure by the volunteers ( in 100+ degree weather). We hope to have the cement poured before they destroy it!

Our wolf pups, Arizona and Teneya, have some shade trees but could use more planted along the side of their enclosure. Almost all of the hybrids would greatly benefit from water tubs or horse troughs in their enclosures.

You could help with the enrichment by becoming an animal sponsor today!