I decided to take a break from my travels abroad and share an experience I had a few weeks ago in Southern California with some wolves.
I will admit that I am a wolf lover and always have been. I appreciate the spiritual connection humans have with them but never understood exactly WHY. However, after spending a few hours with these noble creatures, I have a better understanding.
The Wolf Mountain Sanctuary is in Lucerne Valley, which is about a two hour drive outside of Los Angeles. Yes, I know. It seems like a far drive but throughout the entire time you get to experience all the different terrain that California is known for. One minute you’re climbing a mountain which seemed to pop up out of nowhere and the next you are in the desert.
The sanctuary is open to the public (with a reservation) and it’s one of the few where you can not only see the wolves but interact with them too. If you’re so lucky, you might even be kissed by one…but more on that later.
Most wolves here arrived in bad shape but have been nursed back to health and have forgiven humans for their poor treatment or neglect. I like to imagine that the welcome sign at the entrance applies to, not only human visitors but the new resident wolves as well.
Our guide NeNe started our tour and we were greeted by a few wolves at the beginning through the fence as if they were saying “How’s it going?” One wolf in a near-by enclosure had passed the week before and NeNe said her fellow wolf neighbors seemed to feel something was still a little off. NeNe gave us excellent information about wolf behavior and how we should approach each individual wolf. I did know some things about wolves before going, like they are one of the few animal species that mate for life, but I learned so much more. They are amazing and fascinating animals!
Next we were introduced to Denali, who lost a leg to cancer but manages perfectly fine. We pet her through the fence and her fur was just as imagined – very thick and fluffy. Because the fur is thick, you have to dig deep to actually pet them – as if giving a deep tissue massage – and they LOVE it! We were given carrots to feed her from the palm of our hands through the fence. She took them very gently just like a lady and then backed into the fence for another massage. It was very therapeutic for not only Denali but for me as well (as crazy as that sounds)!
The next stop was the highlight of the visit for me and that was getting acquainted with Holan. He is a handsome, friendly boy who was one of the few born at the sanctuary. NeNe told us right away that you must gain a wolf’s trust by looking him straight in the eye. This is completely opposite of what we know of dogs – if you look at a dog square in the eye, he will see it as a challenge. I did exactly what she said and next thing I knew, Holan was smothering me with kisses! He then started “nibbling” on my cheek, which didn’t hurt but it did remind me of another fact NeNe had told us earlier: Wolves have a strong bite and their jaws have a crushing pressure of around 1,500 pounds per square inch compared to a German Shepherd which has 750 per square inch. Thank goodness Holan stopped at the nibbling stage of affection!
Interesting that Holan is also named “The Healer”. Wolves have an incredible sense of scent -- 100xs greater than man. So it was no surprise when we were told that Holan had actually detected cancer on a handful of previous visitors just by sniffing them! We met another volunteer named James (war vet still active in the military) who swears by the power of Holan and some of the other wolves as helping him battle PTSD stress. He said they have changed his life! Isn’t that incredible?
James and the staff at the sanctuary are actually currently training a beautiful, black young wolf named Genesis with hopes that they will be able to take her out and help with others who suffer from PTSD and domestic abuse, like a therapy dog, but in wolf form!
Our last wolf visit was with a sweet mature lady named Shanta. Shanta arrived at the sanctuary weighing only 2 pounds and had to be bottle fed every few hours to stay alive. She is now 16 years old and definitely enjoyed our company. James showed us her “man hole” that she dug to catch a mate as she has yet to find one. I really don’t know if this was the actual reason she dug the hole but the size of it was impressive!
So, if you’re in the area of Southern California, I highly recommend this experience to everyone! I guarantee you will walk away with a better understanding and respect for these wonderful creatures. What Native Americans have known for centuries about the strong kinship with humans to wolves is now being understood scientifically.
Tours are offered Thursday through Sunday with reservations made prior. The phone number and directions (and information to read prior to the tour) can be found on the website www.wolfmountainsanctuary.net. Before you go though, do yourself a favor and watch the short four minute video "How Wolves Change Rivers" – it is about how wolves reintroduced the ecosystem at Yellowstone National Park where human efforts had failed.
I promise this will be an experience you won’t forget!
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