My First Wolf Kiss at Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center

 

The wolf kisses weren’t really kisses.  Although they were super sweet, they could better be described as a very, very large puppy kissing and licking my face.  Well, not really.  Not so much a puppy, really more like a very large dog.  And not exactly licking my face,  but more like a very large, but very gentle, dog gnawing along my jaw with their very large wolf puppy teeth.  I was a little nervous at first – I mean, it was my first kiss!  But after the initial shock of a gray Timberwolf playfully licking and chewing along my jaw I relaxed and felt the joy a puppy brings.  Seriously, what is better than those adorable balls of fluff jumping, playing and kissing you?  The Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center can make it happen!

Your Wolf Kisses are on my List

These wolf kisses have been on my list for a long time.  My daughter, Jayci, first heard about the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center about 3 or 4 years ago.  She has always had a soft spot for wolves and is just crazy about animals.  At the time she was under 18 and too young to interact with the wolves one on one.  So, we kept the idea in the back of our minds.  Jayci turned 18 this past July.  Lucky for us we traveled to Denver, Colorado around Christmas and built some extra time into our ski trip to take the drive south to Divide.  It’s about a 2 hour ride south of Denver.  (Colorado Springs airport is closer and just over 1/2 hour from CWWC if you are looking for a more direct route.)  The town of Divide sits on the north slope of Pikes Peak with the CWWC sitting above 9,000 feet.  It is cold up there in winter!  Brrr!  But wolves don’t need to worry about the weather, they have hollow hair shafts which trap air and act as insulation –  a fact we learned during our educational tour.

The Howl of the Wolves

When we arrived we were greeted by the sound of the wolves howling!  How awesome is that?  Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center is home to numerous wolves, foxes and coyotes – whom they call their “pack.”  Their mission is conservation, education and preservation of these animals and the forest, land and water that supports them.  They have a fairly large site with a few buildings and many fenced areas for the wildlife.  We checked in at the main building and met a few of the staff who were very professional and helpful and so happy to welcome visitors.  First we joined an educational tour with about 15 other people.  We walked around the property viewing the animals in different penned areas.  All the wolves have different personalities and they all have a story.  Some have been rescued, one saved from a guaranteed hunt farm, a few have come from other wolf facilities, and there is even a wolf from a backyard breeder.

Living on the Edge of Extinction

We learned so much about the importance of the wolves in the ecosystem and their place and importance in the food chain.  When you remove one piece (the wolf) of that chain it’s not as strong as it can be.  If you have the chance, read about the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park and how ecosystems rebounded and rivers actually changed their courses.  You can read about it here:  Wolf Reintroduction Changes Ecosystem.  I think this story is amazing and I am in awe of nature!  But not everyone thinks wolves have a place in our world.  Many ranchers are not happy about the reintroduction and many wolves have been shot and killed.  It is a constant battle for their survival.  The biologists and professional staff at Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center do not gloss over the facts of the inhumane fur industry, canned hunts and other abusive situations.  If you have young children please be aware that details can be graphic.

Meet and Greet:  Orenda and Chakra

Adult males grow to 2 1/2 – 3 feet tall at the shoulder, females a little smaller and typically weigh 80-150 pounds.  And we got to see two wolf pups up close and personal!  Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center operates safety standards for the guests AND for the wolves.  The bottom of our shoes were wiped with bleach so as not to bring any bacteria inside the pens.  And a series of doors is used to keep the wolves safe behind their fences.  We were told not to bring anything into the pens with us, not even a phone in our pockets.  The wolves are notorious thieves and love to take souvenirs.  Lol!  Honestly, I was a little nervous.  These wolves are big!  Nevertheless, Jayci and I were super excited and ready to meet our new friends!  We met Orenda, an 8 month old female pup with the typical markings of a gray Timberwolf and Chakra, a 9 month old all black female.  Orenda was very friendly, playful and inquisitive.  She came right up to us and got super close.  And seriously, she gently gnawed on my jaw and licked my face!  That’s what you call a wolf kiss!  Jayci got the treatment too.  As you can see from the pictures she was loving it!  Orenda effortlessly jumped onto the rock we sat on and came up over our shoulders to see what was going on, resting her very large, super furry wolf head on our shoulders.  It was so sweet.

A wolf can bite with force of 400 to 1,200  pounds of pressure.  Yikes!  That fact was not lost on me as I sat next to this magnificent beast gnawing on my face.  The wolves’ size and power is incredible.  As I sat there in awe and maybe a little bit of fear, she laid down on the snowy ground and just wanted to be petted.  Orenda particularly liked getting her ears rubbed.  Chakra was very cautious and didn’t want to participate much.  She sort of hung around the fringes just checking us out.  She didn’t feel like approaching us and those feelings were respected.  Many of the young wolves are evaluated for their ability to act as ambassadors for the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center.  They undergo lots of training before they are put into new situations.  When a person gets to meet a wolf up close and personal it opens up so many opportunities for CWWC to paint the wolf in it’s proper light and hopefully change some minds.  Education is their number one tool.  And Orenda is an awesome teacher.  Our time with her was fun, exciting and eye opening.  We learned so much in our time with her and her friends.

 

Rhett & Scarlett – Not Quite Wolves

Our time at the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center didn’t end there.  Jackson, my 14 year old son, and my husband, Joe, had an interaction with Rhett and Scarlett, two red foxes.  Jackson was not old enough for the wolf interaction, but you only need to be 8 years old to meet the foxes.  These foxes were so adorable – jumping on Jackson and Joe’s backs and just hanging out up there!  Always looking for the next treat.  They were very inquisitive and playful.  It was great to see how the boys and the foxes enjoyed their time together.  Earlier , on our educational tour we learned more about the fox’s plight in the fur industry.  It is so sad how these foxes suffer.  Come on people – wear fake fur!

A few things to keep in mind when you are visiting Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center —

First of all, you need to go there!  It is an awesome experience you will not forget!

Reservations are required for all of the tours and interactions.  Call or email in advance to secure your spot.

Try to make an early morning reservation.  Animals tend to be more active in the morning.  Scarlett and Rhett, the red foxes, displayed awesome fun behaviors at our early morning appointment.

If you visit in winter, dress warmly.  I recommend insulated ski pants and snow or winter boots.  I was pretty cold in my jeans.  And no fake fur on any of your jackets or boots – the wolves become too interested in what that might be – you want their attention on you.

Warm up with a cup of hot chocolate in the main building after your tour and buy a souvenir.

Bathrooms are located in a non-heated out building – and, um, it’s not really a bathroom, just a pit toilet.  Trust me, you will be fine.

Grab lunch down the mountain in Woodland Park, CO.  (It’s on the road towards Colorado Springs.)  We enjoyed pizza at AJ’s Stone Oven American Pizzeria.  Super casual – you just order up front and they bring your food out to you.  Lot’s of different options for pizza, even gluten free for me!  And it was all yummy!