Depressed Metabolism

On a recent trip from California to Oregon we decided to pay a visit to the Howling Acres Wolf Sanctuary in Williams, Oregon. Since we wanted to spend the night in the area as well we also decided to take the opportunity to ‘Camp with the Wolves.’

Upon arrival a volunteer from WWOOF showed us our tent for the night, which was just a few feet away from the wolves, offering us no escape from the fact that, indeed, we were going to camp with the wolves. A tour of the sanctuary followed providing information on wolves in general and more background on the wolves in the sanctuary.

Wolves are very shy animals and in the wild live in packs which can contain between 2 and 20 wolves, though 8 is a more typical size. Wolves are portrayed as strongly hierarchical communities, with a dominant  Alpha, a group of subordinate Beta wolves, and the Omega wolves on the lowest end of the hierarchy. These descriptions are heavily based on research of captive wolves and perhaps cannot be extrapolated to wild wolf packs. Both males and females can take any of the roles, but when it comes to Alpha females we were told that they are definitely more vicious than males and when they have to fight for leadership they will fight until the death whereas an Alpha male will submit to a more dominant male.  There are also the Lone Wolves, who are typically old specimens driven from their pack or young adults in search of new territory.

Pairing of the wolves in the sanctuary generally follows the same rules, with several wolves living in the same habitat. The sanctuary also has its own Lone Wolf. This specific lone wolf is a true Lone Wolf who after several attempts of having him joined by a female or puppy is now left on its own, apart from the rest of the wolves and even during the tour is left alone and only observed from a distance.

Most wolves in the sanctuary have troubled pasts and were either kept as pets or rescued from hunters who illegally kill the wolves for their skins. A particular tragic story involved several wolves rescued from a hunter, who held more than 150 wolves in cages on his property. When captured, fewer than 10 of the 150 or so wolves survived due to the horrible condition they were in and several of these are now in the sanctuary.

The wolves in the sanctuary will remain there until the end of their lives, with a life expectancy of up to 20 years, which is at least 10 years longer than a wolf who lives in the wild, which generally live 6 to 10 years. The volunteer mentioned that animal rights activists resent the wolves being in captivity but since some of them never lived in the wild or have been held in captivity for years it would be very difficult for these wolves to survive in the wild.

At the end of the tour we were greeted by another volunteer who had a young hybrid with her on a leash. This young puppy came to the sanctuary after his previous owner, thinking it was an ordinary dog, brought him to the vet who told him that he could not treat a hybrid!

After the tour and the howling of the wolves at dusk we decided to retreat to our tent. And with the exception of one outburst during the night and the wolves howling at dusk we had a peaceful night, although the realization that the wolves are within a few meters is definitely a unique and unforgettable experience.

The future of the sanctuary is uncertain. The owners, after taking care of the wolves for over 17 years, are no longer in a physical condition to continue taking care of them. A new owner is sought, but since the sanctuary is a labor of love and largely relies on donations, it is uncertain if anyone will be found.

For now the sanctuary is still open to the public, so take this opportunity on your next trip to southern Oregon and visit these great animals and support this unique sanctuary.