Cartoon by Rossana Henriques

Autumn will soon give way to the chill of winter and with it will come snow and long periods of darkness. Some animals seem to be symbolic of winter. The wolf immediately comes to mind. In April 2009, the US Fish and Wildlife Services removed the northern Rocky Mountain population of gray wolves (Canis lupus) from protections provided under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).¹ Does this mean that human attitudes towards wolves have changed? Native American folklore, fairy tales, Hollywood movies and aerial wolf-killing excursions suggest that our attitudes remain rooted in a mixture of fascination and fear. If the latest cinematic installment of the Twilight saga is anything to go by, Jacob, one of the lead characters, will continue to be a symbol of our interest with werewolves.

Back in the real world, The Lakota Wolf Preserve in Columbia, New Jersey, provides visitors seeking a break from city life with an opportunity to experience wolves in a more natural setting. Located just east of the Delaware Water Gap and hidden at the back of the Camp Taylor Campground, this ten-acre preserve houses its star attractions: four packs of white tundra wolves from Alaska, gray or timber wolves from North America, and Arctic wolves from Greenland. The beautiful and varied coat colors reflect their varying habitats, with the most dramatic differences observable between wolves of the high tundra who are migratory and follow caribou to their breeding area, and wolves in the nearby boreal forest who hunt nonmigratory prey. Dark-coated wolves are not commonly found in the tundra, but do increase in frequency towards forested areas.³

While the New Jersey tour includes viewings of bobcats and foxes, it is the calm manner in which Jim Stein, the animal handler, moves among his stars and relays stories about raising them as pups that draws in the crowds. There is an implicit trust between Jim and the wolves that one rarely sees among men, let alone man and beast. The highlight is hearing the entire pack howl on Jim’s cue, although, on my visit, the idle thought did cross my mind that the campers might not appreciate daily choruses disturbing their peace and quiet. Avid wildlife photographers are encouraged to return for special one-on-one photography sessions managed by animal handlers. Other would-be-naturalists who cannot take time off from the laboratory can keep up to date with events and information about the wolves via Facebook.

References

1. Bruskotter JT, Toman E, Enzler SA, Schmidt RH. Gray Wolves Not Out of the Woods Yet. Science. 2010;327:30-31.
2. Freeman A. Preserve gives wolves room to roam.
3. Anderson TM, vonHoldt BM, Candille SI, Musiani M, Greco C, Stahler DR, et al. Molecular and evolutionary history of melanism in North American gray wolves. Science. 2009;323(5919):1339-1343.