When you hear leaves rustling on a forest trail and a long howl on a dark night, surely you think about wolves. Are they close? What would you do if you saw them? Stories and fairy tales, like Little Red Riding Hood and Peter and the Wolf, taught us of the beasts lurking in the shadows and licking their jowls while our backs are turned. So many books and movies that set place in a forest somehow incorporate a pack of wild wolves to increase the fear and excitement of the readers.
In 1840, wolves flourished in the North American terrain. There were wolves in every U.S. State, except Hawaii. The fear and expansion of humans into their ecosystems have caused a dwindling number of wild wolves. Today, the only states with wild wolf populations are Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.
To my surprise, there are no wild wolves in Pennsylvania. One of the only ways to see these majestic and beautiful animals are in zoos or sanctuaries. On a summer day, I took at tour of The Wolf Sanctuary of PA, which is the only wolf sanctuary in Pennsylvania. Some states like Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and North Carolina have other sanctuaries as well, but they are not all publicly run.
“The best wolf habitat resides in the human heart.”
There are 50 wolves in Wolf Sanctuary of PA’s 80 plus acres of natural woodland. The Wolf Sanctuary of PA will accept as many wolves that they can safely take care of into the property. Some of the safety concerns include the personality of the wolf with the established personality of the wolf packs on the land.
The average life expectancy of a wild wolf is 6-8 years, but these wolves live to be about 18 years old. The reasons for the increase in life expectancy are their routine source of food and vet care. However, the vets try to use the least amount of drugs as possible on the wolves.
The wolves are fed frozen meat and fresh water. The Wolf Sanctuary of PA will accept donations of meat, as long as they are uncooked and unseasoned. They will accept most types of fish and meat, except pork.
Thor is an 18 year old, blind wolf.
In the state of PA, the state minimum for a wolf enclosure is 15-20 feet, however, at The Wolf Sanctuary of PA, each enclosure is a few acres. Why? The mission of The Wolf Sanctuary of PA is to maintain the wild wolves’ dignity. They believe these animals should be cared for, while maintaining a comfortable and stimulating environments for the rescued wolves. Also, it serves as a learning facility for those that would like to learn more about these amazing animals.
This is not a sponsored post.
Tours at The Wolf Sanctuary of PA: The tours include the Weekday Public Tour, Weekend Public Tour, Professional Photography Session, Full Moon Tour, and Private Tour. The cost varies based upon the tour, but the price is roughly $12 adult, $11 seniors and $10 children under 11.
Things to Know:
Go in the winter. The wolves are less active in the heat. We went in the dead of summer, and although we saw the wolves, it was mostly watching them pant and sleep.
Prepare your nose for the smells. I absolutely hate flies, so I was so happy that there were plenty of fly traps throughout the property. However, since the traps store meat in them, certain areas throughout the property smelled like rotting meat in the summer sun.
This is not a hike through the woods. The property is large and intended for the wolves. Therefore, the walking section for the guests is an “L” shaped path to walk between some of the enclosures. Do not expect to do a lot of walking or hiking during the tour.
