Wolf Park - Battle Ground, IN 47920
Pack the Kids and Visit Wolf Park for a Howling Good Time
Grandma! What big teeth you have," said Little Red Riding Hood. She could
have been speaking to Marion, the No. 1 female at Wolf Park.
Marion is among 17 toothy wolves at the unique education and research
facility about two miles north of Battle Ground, where life for the
predatory canines is no fairy tale. The humans who run the year-round
nonprofit center have made a pact with the pack: They won't get in one
another's way.
Education coordinator John Davis is on a first-name basis with the fierce,
four-legged residents. He doesn't even try to conceal his affection for
them. And like the other humans who work at the park, Davis frequently
passes through the heavy-metal gate that separates human world from canine
world.
Still, he proceeds with caution. The scars on his arms are a constant
reminder that the sometimes-friendly canines are no ordinary dogs.
"Yes, wolves are volatile," Davis said. "You've got to respect them.
"At 1,500 pounds per square inch of sheer pressure," he said, referring to
the potential power contained in the jaw of a single wolf, "that's a lot of
crunch."
It's clear from Davis' cheerful, easy demeanor that he loves his work. The
brim of his cap shades Davis' tanned face from the July sun as he traverses
the grounds and talks incessantly about the animals in his charge. He is at
once enthusiastic and informative, confiding he has loved wolves since he
was a kid - likely 20-30 years.
Each canine at Wolf Park is given free reign, as much as the
industrial-strength, extra-high fencing surrounding their 6 1/2 acres will
allow. The fence extends an additional four feet underground, Davis said,
as added insurance that the animals can't dig their way out.
In the nearly 20-year history of Wolf Park, Davis knows of only one cagey
canine that made it over the fence, which had been damaged during a storm.
"The people in town were great," he said. "They kept their kids inside,
while we tried to find her. Finally, she just showed up back here. I guess
she was tired of looking for food in garbage cans."
The wolves at the park are well fed, according to Davis. And whenever
possible, they are treated to fresh road kill - deer mainly. During the
deer's winter breeding season, the park receives four or five dead ones a
day, Davis explained.
Wolf Park was established in 1972 as an independent research facility.
Besides a pack of wolves, it has become home to a herd of bison, a few fox,
and a coyote. Year-round, several staff members, student interns and
volunteers study and document the wolves' behavior. The data is shared with
other researchers in other facilities throughout the country.
"These animals are socialized," Davis said. "They don't hide, they aren't
bored, and they are easy to care for. Unlike regular zoo animals, our
animals are happy."
According to Davis, about $1,100 a year is required to keep a wolf there.
Needed funds are raised partly through park admissions, student tuition,
seminars, gift shop purchases, memberships and gifts.
Wolf Park is open to the public 1-5 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday through Nov. 30
for visitors to observe the wolves in their naturalistic enclosure and
learn about them during staff lectures. A wolf-bison encounter is presented
each Sunday during open season, weather permitting. Staff also present a
handling demonstration each Saturday and Sunday afternoon inside the main
wolf enclosure. At 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, park staff give visitors
with a special opportunity to howl with the wolves.
Admission is $3 for children, ages 6-13 and $4 for ages 14 and up
Tuesday-Saturday and $5 on Sunday. Children up to age 5 are always free.
Dogs and other pets are not permitted on the grounds.
To find Wolf Park, take I-65 north to the State Road 25 exit and follow the
signs to Battle Ground and to Wolf Park.
For more information about the park, the wolves and its many programs -
including a special junior volunteer program for students under age 18 -
log onto the park's Web site at www.wolfpark.org
Phone:(765) 567-2265 Fax: (765) 567-4299 - E-Mail Wolf Park
Unless otherwise noted, all photographs © Monty Sloan
By JANIS THORNTON
http://www.ftimes.com/insidenews.asp?ID=4108
