October 4, 2011
By Kim Young, Communications Director, Wolf Haven International

       Working for wolf conservation since 1982

Wolf Haven International is the indirect result of a temporary error in judgment made by well-meaning people. In the spring of 1978, Steve and Linda Kuntz purchased a wolf pup from an exotic animal breeder in Colorado. At the time, they knew very little about wolves, their needs, or that wolves were an endangered species. It did not take long before they realized that they were in over their heads, and began researching how to better manage and care for their wolf, Blackfoot. In the process, they met another couple who worked with wolves and together, they moved to Washington State. Wolf Haven came about as an effort to rescue and care for other wolves that were mistakenly purchased as family pets or otherwise had been in captivity and were then displaced.

Wolf Haven eventually became Wolf Haven International complete with a Board of Directors and Executive Director. The board, staff, and volunteers of Wolf Haven Intl. have been “working for wolf conservation since 1982.” While intentionally broad, this statement unites all the programs that Wolf Haven Intl. undertakes. We incorporated the word “international” into our name because we recognize that wolves need help globally, and our supporters can be found in countries around the world.

Over the course of Wolf Haven’s 29 year history, we have rescued and provided lifetime sanctuary to over 160 animals. Most captive-born wolves are euthanized by the age of eighteen months, when they begin to reach sexual maturity. The animal either becomes too dangerous or unpredictable to be a domestic pet or the individual’s life circumstances change and they can no longer care for the wolf properly. In the wild, a wolf has a lifetime expectancy of 5 years; at Wolf Haven, our most senior wolf lived to be nearly 20. It is not uncommon for Wolf Haven wolves to reach their teen years.

As a result of our animal care staff experience and longevity as a wolf sanctuary, Wolf Haven International has come to be regarded as a leader in both humane wolf management and wolf identification. Wolf Haven hosts an annual Wildlife Handling and Chemical Immobilization course for professionals and students. It is one of only two courses in the U.S. that offers hands-on experience with wolves. Wolf Haven is a member of the Washington Wolf Management team, which developed the proposal for wild wolf management in the state. The King County Humane Society, based in Seattle, WA, specifically requested training from Wendy Spencer, our animal curator, on wolf-dog hybrid identification and distinguishing between wolves, hybrids, and dogs.

We also participate in two Species Survival Plan (SSP) programs for the highly endangered Mexican gray wolf and the red wolf. The SSP programs were developed between cooperating facilities, the American Zoological Association (AZA) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Wolf Haven Intl. is one of only three pre-release facilities in the U.S. for the Mexican gray. As a participant in two Species Survival Plans, Wolf Haven has produced one litter of red wolf pups, five litters of Mexican gray pups, and released two packs – 11 wolves – into the wild over the past 16 years.

Wolf Haven Intl. strives to create a concern and awareness of the natural world and fill a void in environmental education. Our goal is to raise the level of environmental literacy in students of ALL ages. In 2010, over 12,000 people visited Wolf Haven International, where they gained knowledge about wolves and their behavior, habitat, controversial history in the U.S. and significance in the maintenance of balanced eco-systems. Field trips are a popular activity among local school districts and more than 3,000 school age children visit annually. Senior groups are also frequent participants.

The educational presentations are offered to both adult and youth groups, with each tailored to a specific interest level and age group. Topics include: Wolves in Washington, Wolf Café, Yellowstone Wolves, World of Wolves and Vanishing Creatures. In order to reach an even broader audience on the critical topic of wildlife conservation, Wolf Haven Intl. offers Critter Classes, online educational programming for groups who are unable to personally visit our sanctuary. Critter Class gives people of any age, living anywhere, a rare chance to see real wolves interact, and receive objective, science-based information about wolves and other inhabitants of the natural world.

While it has not always been easy to find the necessary funding to maintain the high standard of care that we afford our resident wolves, through staff & volunteer dedication and perseverance, Wolf Haven International has kept its doors open for 29 years. Our quarterly magazine, Wolf Tracks, is a membership benefit, and is quite popular. The Summer 2011 issue was our first to be offered electronically, in addition to our traditional print version. We rely on guided walking tours of our wolf sanctuary, memberships, symbolic wolf adoptions, gift shop sales, grants, special events and private donations to maintain financial equilibrium. With the advent of online social networking, we have another avenue with which to reach the public, request their support, and provide education not only about wolves, but also the complex nature of maintaining healthy eco-systems.

In an ideal world, there would not be a need for a place like Wolf Haven International. People would no longer make the ill-informed decision to purchase a cute wolf pup as a domestic pet. Wolves in the wild would be tolerated and allowed their place in the eco-system. But the wolves living here now, and the deceased wolves buried in our memorial area, as well as the heated controversy which continues to haunt wolves in historic ranges, are a testament that our sanctuary is critically needed.

For more information: WolfHaven.org