Licked by a Wolf!
There he was, slobbering my hand with his tongue, covering it with dirt and beaver tail. This would had been a dream come true in my days of wolf-worship and today, I think it was just as special.
The International Wolf Center has been celebrating the birth of its two new pups, Aidan and Denali. Even Hollywood celebrities have made a visit as of late. They welcomed my visit and asked me to join the behind-the-scenes tour.
The tour would be a session in the kennel area, where the two pups are being acclimated to the Center world. Lori Schmidt, Wolf Curator, gave an informative presentation on what needs to be done with the pups.
There was a three tier bleacher, with Center members in the little crowd. Lori was on the other side of a slight metal fence that was chest-high and there were 2 other attendants with her. Behind the kennel was the higher main enclosure with the adult wolves occasionally coming for a closer look.
The three pups were being acclimated to life in a people/wolf world. Whether it was the sound of a weed-whipper, someone accidentally kicking a bucket near them, knowing to assume a subservient posture in the presence of a human or that the sliding kennel door was not a threat, these little guys were adjusting. Human males are naturally more intimidating. So, efforts are made to expose them to routine episodes with guys.
The Center was special in that it had 3 different subspecies of Wolf living together: Great Plains (that’s what we got and you could add the outdated term Timberwolf to this mix), Artic and Rocky Mountain and, with the addition of pups, two age groups.
The two pups were hanging out on a blanket and cushion, chewing on a beaver tail and deer leg. They seemed pretty relaxed and just lay there most the time, until Lori made a wolf call to the pack. The little guys were up and running around and in the woods behind you heard the pack howl together. They had many different vocalizations. You could hear the ‘howl’ that everyone has heard before, but you could also hear odd vibratos and yelps of sorts, all coalescing in a yearning song.
After clearing the pen, Lori introduced the most aged of the wolves. A wolf that she believed would not be around for too much longer. In came in the old butter-scotch speckled girl, with tail tucked in and looking about as she did her paces. She would later become a bit more lively.
In their dog-like appearance, fluffy coat and humorous mannerisms, you want to give these guys a hug, the puppies especially (I’ve heard that it is the close-set eyes of the young of many mammals that bring out an instinctive nurturing drive)! But if you respect canis lupus then you know, these guys are wild animals, not pets. They should be viewed not as a big cuddly toy, but as majestic carnivores as comfortable with ripping out the throat of an animal as they are in licking their paw. Give them wide berth if you really love them!
I had actually been invited to the very front from the get go, being with camera and all. So, you can imagine what a supreme great thrill it was, to be pressed against the fence with arms and camera hanging over and canis lupus entering the pen! Not wanting to give neither wolf or curator cause of concern I was initially cautious, but saw that there was no protest whatsoever coming from either side. So, I was able to be a bit more intimate with these canines. Lori told us though old, this wolf still had bite! One day as she was trying to get the wolf up and she if she was ok, she softly brushed her with a warm pop can. The wolf turned and crushed the closed can in an instant. Hmm, my arm was in brushing distance of her head!
At the end the pups were let back in and one of them comes right up to my hand and gives me a great big ol’ lick!
The Root Beer Lady
Next door to the International Wolf Center is the Dorothy Molter Museum. The last person to live in the area now known as the Boundary Waters, this ‘Root Beer Lady,’ became internationally reknown in her epic struggle against big government and champion of the little guy, er, woman.
For most people she was admired as that old lady who lived in the woods, portaged two Duluth packs and carried her motor in her hands. She brewed root beer and if you were passing through, you could buy one. (The limit was 2.) She was known for her humor and her saying “KwitUrBelliAkin!”
Her cabin and much of her belongings were taken out, piece by piece, upon her death in 1986. Today you can receive a tour and buy yourself some root beer.
In talking to one of the curators afterwards, who had been a friend of Dorothy, you get an interesting view of the situation. It seems that many of the memories left behind are of the government telling the people of Ely how to live their lives. Dorothy was very resistant and refused to aquiese to the government’s demands when the canoe area was being created. Eventually, she knew she had to give in.
It really seemed to come down to the people of Ely wanting to use their region in a way that allows them to survive. Whether it has been the removal of citizen’s houses from the canoe area, shutting down roads and ending motor usage on the lakes, groups have rallied around these issues. They have seen much of the government drive to preserve the environment as intrusion upon their way of life. There seems to be a much greater harmony in Ely as of late, but it does help to widen one’s perspective a little bit. After all, these are people that live here!
The International Wolf Center has been celebrating the birth of its two new pups, Aidan and Denali. Even Hollywood celebrities have made a visit as of late. They welcomed my visit and asked me to join the behind-the-scenes tour.
The tour would be a session in the kennel area, where the two pups are being acclimated to the Center world. Lori Schmidt, Wolf Curator, gave an informative presentation on what needs to be done with the pups.There was a three tier bleacher, with Center members in the little crowd. Lori was on the other side of a slight metal fence that was chest-high and there were 2 other attendants with her. Behind the kennel was the higher main enclosure with the adult wolves occasionally coming for a closer look.
The three pups were being acclimated to life in a people/wolf world. Whether it was the sound of a weed-whipper, someone accidentally kicking a bucket near them, knowing to assume a subservient posture in the presence of a human or that the sliding kennel door was not a threat, these little guys were adjusting. Human males are naturally more intimidating. So, efforts are made to expose them to routine episodes with guys.
The Center was special in that it had 3 different subspecies of Wolf living together: Great Plains (that’s what we got and you could add the outdated term Timberwolf to this mix), Artic and Rocky Mountain and, with the addition of pups, two age groups.
The two pups were hanging out on a blanket and cushion, chewing on a beaver tail and deer leg. They seemed pretty relaxed and just lay there most the time, until Lori made a wolf call to the pack. The little guys were up and running around and in the woods behind you heard the pack howl together. They had many different vocalizations. You could hear the ‘howl’ that everyone has heard before, but you could also hear odd vibratos and yelps of sorts, all coalescing in a yearning song.
After clearing the pen, Lori introduced the most aged of the wolves. A wolf that she believed would not be around for too much longer. In came in the old butter-scotch speckled girl, with tail tucked in and looking about as she did her paces. She would later become a bit more lively.
In their dog-like appearance, fluffy coat and humorous mannerisms, you want to give these guys a hug, the puppies especially (I’ve heard that it is the close-set eyes of the young of many mammals that bring out an instinctive nurturing drive)! But if you respect canis lupus then you know, these guys are wild animals, not pets. They should be viewed not as a big cuddly toy, but as majestic carnivores as comfortable with ripping out the throat of an animal as they are in licking their paw. Give them wide berth if you really love them!
I had actually been invited to the very front from the get go, being with camera and all. So, you can imagine what a supreme great thrill it was, to be pressed against the fence with arms and camera hanging over and canis lupus entering the pen! Not wanting to give neither wolf or curator cause of concern I was initially cautious, but saw that there was no protest whatsoever coming from either side. So, I was able to be a bit more intimate with these canines. Lori told us though old, this wolf still had bite! One day as she was trying to get the wolf up and she if she was ok, she softly brushed her with a warm pop can. The wolf turned and crushed the closed can in an instant. Hmm, my arm was in brushing distance of her head!
At the end the pups were let back in and one of them comes right up to my hand and gives me a great big ol’ lick!
The Root Beer Lady
Next door to the International Wolf Center is the Dorothy Molter Museum. The last person to live in the area now known as the Boundary Waters, this ‘Root Beer Lady,’ became internationally reknown in her epic struggle against big government and champion of the little guy, er, woman.
For most people she was admired as that old lady who lived in the woods, portaged two Duluth packs and carried her motor in her hands. She brewed root beer and if you were passing through, you could buy one. (The limit was 2.) She was known for her humor and her saying “KwitUrBelliAkin!”
Her cabin and much of her belongings were taken out, piece by piece, upon her death in 1986. Today you can receive a tour and buy yourself some root beer.In talking to one of the curators afterwards, who had been a friend of Dorothy, you get an interesting view of the situation. It seems that many of the memories left behind are of the government telling the people of Ely how to live their lives. Dorothy was very resistant and refused to aquiese to the government’s demands when the canoe area was being created. Eventually, she knew she had to give in.
It really seemed to come down to the people of Ely wanting to use their region in a way that allows them to survive. Whether it has been the removal of citizen’s houses from the canoe area, shutting down roads and ending motor usage on the lakes, groups have rallied around these issues. They have seen much of the government drive to preserve the environment as intrusion upon their way of life. There seems to be a much greater harmony in Ely as of late, but it does help to widen one’s perspective a little bit. After all, these are people that live here!
posted by Tony's Blog at
6:23 PM
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