Carol’s bit.

The wolf reserve was disappointing, I have been to better in England.

There are five young males kept together in one, not big enough compound. They are all related, as they are different generations of the original alpha pair. Born in captivity, they will never leave the compound. The reasoning behind this is to keep them as wild and natural as possible. There is nothing natural about captive breeding, or keeping wild animals in a dog compound. There are females here but are mixed with the males when convenient, in other words to use as incubators. One of the Rangers admitted that this “pack” was for educational purposes for the public.
The first thing that we were shown, was the pelt of the original Alpha male, who to my mind deserved to be buried intact, out of respect. The public can see a pelt moving around if they look at the wolves that are still alive.
We will be going to Yellowstone , where there are a wild packs running free, if we see them , they will not be behind chain link fencing.

The reserves in England include Whipsnade Zoo. The compound that the wolves are kept in goes back quite a long way from the public view, the wolves will often disappear to the back when the public turn up. I have been to the back of the compound with one of the keepers, and there is a lot more hiding places at Whipsnade than here.

Another place is Reading. The keepers are also mostly volunteers also. These wolves are usually rescue wolves, and they too will never be released. The difference here is that they go out for walks in Reading woods. The public can go too in pre-arranged
groups. No-one can wear leather or suede ( the wolves will tear it off) and they are walked on chains by experienced handlers, a dog lead won’t hold them, they are incredibly strong. Once members are used to going they can also handle the wolves.
The difference with taking wolves for a walk, is that you don’t, they go where they want to go and you follow on the end of the chain. People walking their dogs in the woods are warned to keep away. Wolves will kill dogs. In the wild they see them as a source of food, and apparently have learned to send in a female on heat to lure the unsuspecting pet into the jaws of the waiting pack.
I told the handler here about the Reading pack going for walks, and he said it wasn’t natural to do that, and they wanted to keep their wolves wild. Something wrong with that picture, at least the Reading wolves have some freedom, they interact with people to a point and have fun and stimulation pulling clods of earth out of the pond, and finding different smells . If they were to be released it would be entirely different. The wolves from this pack are taken to agricultural shows where the public are allowed to handle them under supervision. It is a very effective way of educating people about them.
Wolves have a raw deal, always have had. They have wonderful pack laws, which humans could take lessons from. It’s a pity they are used as target practice by people accusing them of “trespassing” on their ! land.
Wolves have a right to be here, as does everything else.