Chris Anderson, WERC

When the USDA contacted the Wolf Center in early April, our staff began working in response to a facility management situation that had grown out of control over a number of years. The situation reached a climactic moment when a wolf escaped from the facility and ultimately lost its life. It was fortuitous that the Wolf Center, thanks to its members’ support, had the resources to provide an immediate response to what, unfortunately, has become a growing trend of poorly run or un-managed animal care facilities. We were able to step in and provide immediate care and assistance to five wolves, who we have come to refer to as the Owyhee Pack.

While it is easy to place blame in a situation such as this, the Wolf Center endeavors to assume a different attitude. The Center recognizes that the proper care, housing and treatment of wolves requires tremendous resources, a highly educated trained professional staff and the cooperation and support of its community. Animal adoption and care requires a lifelong commitment and should not be entered into lightly. On a large-scale basis, it is simply not possible for one person alone to provide the care necessary to sustain multiple wild animals even with the very best of intensions.

Sometimes private owners find themselves in animal care situations that have gotten out of hand. By the time the situation reaches a critical point, the owner’s emotional bond has grown so strong and the fear of loss has grown so great, that outside help is feared and therefore, never sought. This scenario all too often ends tragically with animals escaping, needlessly being killed and often being seized. Our hearts go out to the private citizen who voluntarily relinquished ownership of our newly adopted Owyhee Pack. We commend the courage it took to face this difficult situation and to accept our help and the help of others. We hope that the former owner’s spirits will be cheered, as ours are, to know that the wolves have come to the beautiful, safe, well-managed and committed facility that is the Wolf Education and Research Center. We are committed to providing the best possible care for these wolves for the rest of their lives.

Stable organizations like the Wolf Center adhere to strenuous rules and regulations, submit to regular monitoring by public officials and operate with sufficient numbers of staff and resources. There are many good animal care facilities and, sadly, there are many facilities that are simply ill-equipped to address the challenges associated with proper animal care. Both types of facilities have a significant impact on facility management and care in the regions where they are located.

Instead of reacting to crisis, we can anticipate many of the difficulties associated with situations that have gotten out of control and possibly walk alongside folks who have made decisions to breed or take in these wild animals. Animal care organizations have a responsibility to promote education, no doubt. But we also need to be responsible members of our communities and have the courage to offer direction and assistance when we are needed.

The Wolf Education and Research Center is endeavoring to identify ways of providing assistance to area facilities that may be overwhelmed by the responsibility of caring for too many animals or that lack the resources and training necessary to provide quality facility management. With our recent adoption of the Owyhee Pack, the Wolf Center recognizes the tremendous value of establishing a strong network of connections with facilities capable of assisting wolves in troubled circumstances. There has been discussion of creating an endorsement that the Wolf Center might give facilities that meet our criteria for exceptional care. This identification system would be one way that those who have come into the care of wolves (for whatever reason) could identify reputable facilities that would be able to take good care of wolves that must be placed for adoption.

This new system of the Wolf Center Endorsement has distinct benefits and a multitude of potential educational opportunities. It is centered on our commitment to serve wolves as well as the communities in which they live. Our goal is to prevent the needless suffering of wolves and of those who love them.

By providing educational opportunities to volunteers, scouting groups and local school groups, we hope to develop strategies that will improve the quality of area facilities. By teaching young people how to recognize “good” facilities, our hope is to prevent the types of situations that result in the seizure actions that April brought. Involving young people in the process of recovery and wildlife management will enlighten them on the immense responsibility and dedication required to care for wildlife and will serve to develop future generations of wilderness stewards.

When I learned that we would be following through with the recovery of the Owyhee wolves, it didn’t take me five minutes to determine that my three sons would benefit from being exposed to the opportunity. Their hearts became engaged with the sight and handling of animals they knew needed to go to a stable home. One son held IV bags while another helped unload tranquilized animals from the truck to the clinic. I was immensely proud of them for their willingness to help in this sad situation.

Had someone been able to offer knowledge and guidance before the situation got out of hand, there could possibly have been a different outcome. We will never know. What we do know is that helping private citizens make responsible, educated decisions about the ways they care for animals and wildlife, will forge a community of caring naturalists, and will bring people closer to wolves, to nature, and ultimately to responsible decision-making about our environment. You’ll see a huge emphasis on this in the coming years.