Julia Gayden Nelson here, a.k.a. FibroHiker. I'm trying to become an Amazon Affiliate Blogger, but that can only happen if you interact with this page! Click "like" at the bottom, write a comment, and/or share this post with someone you think will enjoy it!
Addendum: No affiliate links on this post! This is all about promoting MissionWolf.org and nonprofits like it. Enjoy!
Me getting kisses from Magpie (right). Raven is hiding behind me on the left. When my family went to Colorado to do a backpacking trip together, I was a teenager and my younger brother was just starting to sprout up from kid to gangly youth.
My dad, who spent a LOT of time at NOLS and even got certified as an instructor with them at one point, loves to teach outdoors skills and exciting new experiences. Going to Mission Wolf while we were in Colorado was his idea, and it was well worth the long drive out of our way.
Mission Wolf rescued wolves that were either born in captivity or otherwise had become captured by or too comfortable around humans. A wolf that is too used to humans can be dangerous, for the wolf as well as the people. The biggest danger is that, if released back into the wild, the wolf will approach humans and the humans will freak out and shoot the wolf.
The kindest thing, the nice folks at Mission Wolf believed, was to find a way to let the wolves live out the rest of their lives as wolves. By following that mission, they learned a lot about what does and does not work for most wolves. We got a fascinating tour during which the director told us lots of stories about the different wolves that we saw, the ways that he had learned to make them more comfortable, and arrangements with local farmers and ranchers to provide fresh meat on the bone for the wolves to eat.
My dad, who spent a LOT of time at NOLS and even got certified as an instructor with them at one point, loves to teach outdoors skills and exciting new experiences. Going to Mission Wolf while we were in Colorado was his idea, and it was well worth the long drive out of our way.
Mission Wolf rescued wolves that were either born in captivity or otherwise had become captured by or too comfortable around humans. A wolf that is too used to humans can be dangerous, for the wolf as well as the people. The biggest danger is that, if released back into the wild, the wolf will approach humans and the humans will freak out and shoot the wolf.
The kindest thing, the nice folks at Mission Wolf believed, was to find a way to let the wolves live out the rest of their lives as wolves. By following that mission, they learned a lot about what does and does not work for most wolves. We got a fascinating tour during which the director told us lots of stories about the different wolves that we saw, the ways that he had learned to make them more comfortable, and arrangements with local farmers and ranchers to provide fresh meat on the bone for the wolves to eat.
Magpie in her full winter coat. Isn't she beautiful? Image Credit MissionWolf.org Then we got to meet the Ambassador wolves. When one of the full-blooded wolves shows particular patience and comfort around humans, Mission Wolf would train it to see if it might make a good Ambassador. The Ambassador Wolves traveled in a hollowed-out school bus adapted to their needs, and went all over the country to visit people at the special talks the director gave.
The two Ambassador wolves were both home when we arrived, and my brother and I got to meet them. The director had my mom and dad come into the enclosure with us, but he suggested that only us kids tried to say hello.
I went first. The director told me to go out a little ways from the gate and sit in a clearing. The wolves, Raven and Magpie, scruffy in their summer coats, perked up and showed a little interest. The director side-coached me in calm, gentle tones, to hold still, relax, not call or coax, and just wait patiently for them to make the first move. (Having used this technique to try to meet my friends' pets sometimes, I also chose to focus in the distance and watch the wolves with my peripheral vision instead of staring at them).
As my brother stood watching with my parents, Magpie decided to come see me up close. The director had prepared us for what she would probably do: she sniffed me first, particularly my face, and then tried to lick my teeth.
I let her. I know that sounds weird, but that's what the director said he does with them, and it sounded like it made them more comfortable. You know what's particularly funny about this, (aside from how it looks, which is of course hilarious)? She didn't have dog breath. The director pointed it out, asked me if her breath smelled, and I realized that it didn't. He said this was because of the shelter letting the wolves eat their meat off the bone. They don't just eat the meat, they also crunch the long bones to get to the marrow inside, and the splintering bones clean the wolves' teeth as they go!
Magpie was lovely and affectionate, even sniffing me so thoroughly that she almost tumbled me over on my side. Once Magpie had vetted me, Raven trotted up and gave me a few tentative sniffs and kisses too. The director said that I could touch them, too, but said not to pat them on their heads or back. Instead, he had me hold up my arms, elbows at my sides, and touch their chests, shoulders, and the underside of their jaw as they licked my face. It turns out that most dogs and cats prefer this method too.
The two Ambassador wolves were both home when we arrived, and my brother and I got to meet them. The director had my mom and dad come into the enclosure with us, but he suggested that only us kids tried to say hello.
I went first. The director told me to go out a little ways from the gate and sit in a clearing. The wolves, Raven and Magpie, scruffy in their summer coats, perked up and showed a little interest. The director side-coached me in calm, gentle tones, to hold still, relax, not call or coax, and just wait patiently for them to make the first move. (Having used this technique to try to meet my friends' pets sometimes, I also chose to focus in the distance and watch the wolves with my peripheral vision instead of staring at them).
As my brother stood watching with my parents, Magpie decided to come see me up close. The director had prepared us for what she would probably do: she sniffed me first, particularly my face, and then tried to lick my teeth.
I let her. I know that sounds weird, but that's what the director said he does with them, and it sounded like it made them more comfortable. You know what's particularly funny about this, (aside from how it looks, which is of course hilarious)? She didn't have dog breath. The director pointed it out, asked me if her breath smelled, and I realized that it didn't. He said this was because of the shelter letting the wolves eat their meat off the bone. They don't just eat the meat, they also crunch the long bones to get to the marrow inside, and the splintering bones clean the wolves' teeth as they go!
Magpie was lovely and affectionate, even sniffing me so thoroughly that she almost tumbled me over on my side. Once Magpie had vetted me, Raven trotted up and gave me a few tentative sniffs and kisses too. The director said that I could touch them, too, but said not to pat them on their heads or back. Instead, he had me hold up my arms, elbows at my sides, and touch their chests, shoulders, and the underside of their jaw as they licked my face. It turns out that most dogs and cats prefer this method too.
Raven in all her glory. Learn more about Raven and her sister at MissionWolf.org My brother was eager for his chance to go next. He almost startled them away with how excited he was to trade places with me and go sit in the clearing. Magpie and Raven obliged, and he even went back for a second round of kisses after his turn.
People say that animals can smell fear, and this is very true. Humans can smell it too, sometimes, though we aren't usually attuned to thinking with our noses. It's very hard to act calm enough to convince an animal if you aren't ACTUALLY calm. I believe this is why the director showed us all around the Mission Wolf compound first; he got us used to the sights and sounds of the wolves, explained what they do and how they do it, and told us stories about the wolves and their interactions with humans.
To act calm enough to keep an animal from smelling fear, you have to start with your thoughts. Wolves don't want to hurt you. They can actually be insultingly indifferent to you, if you REALLY think of yourself as deserving their attention, whether as a meal or a playmate. They're practical creatures, you're another predator but not one of them, so they don't need you, they don't want you, and they'd mostly rather that you got on with your business and let them get on with theirs.
So get on with your business. If you don't have any business and you're just hanging out to see and maybe meet a wolf, MAKE some business for yourself. Sit on the ground and count leaves on a distant tree. Make yourself a tiara out of vines. Repair your pack, write in your journal, doodle your ideas, think about your toes and your fingers, your heart and your brain.
The same thing works with bees. If you're busy and they're busy, no problem. If you get really close to them and stare at them with all your might, or try to swat or stomp them, then they have a reason to deal with you, and they only have one way to do that. Don't get stung, get back to business. If I feel like what I'm doing might be too much motion for them, I make it my business to stare at something in the distance and do a quick body-scan meditation with some nice slow breaths. I try to relax my face and my shoulders, my abs, my butt, my legs and my feet. I check my posture and roll my shoulders back on a slow, deep breath, then I use my peripheral vision to look for the animal or bee again and see where they are, while keeping my eyes fixed forward at a distant object or soft-focused so I can turn my head slowly without really looking at anything.
I ended up having a really good reason to know all of these things when I met some more wolves on the trail later that week in Colorado.
People say that animals can smell fear, and this is very true. Humans can smell it too, sometimes, though we aren't usually attuned to thinking with our noses. It's very hard to act calm enough to convince an animal if you aren't ACTUALLY calm. I believe this is why the director showed us all around the Mission Wolf compound first; he got us used to the sights and sounds of the wolves, explained what they do and how they do it, and told us stories about the wolves and their interactions with humans.
To act calm enough to keep an animal from smelling fear, you have to start with your thoughts. Wolves don't want to hurt you. They can actually be insultingly indifferent to you, if you REALLY think of yourself as deserving their attention, whether as a meal or a playmate. They're practical creatures, you're another predator but not one of them, so they don't need you, they don't want you, and they'd mostly rather that you got on with your business and let them get on with theirs.
So get on with your business. If you don't have any business and you're just hanging out to see and maybe meet a wolf, MAKE some business for yourself. Sit on the ground and count leaves on a distant tree. Make yourself a tiara out of vines. Repair your pack, write in your journal, doodle your ideas, think about your toes and your fingers, your heart and your brain.
The same thing works with bees. If you're busy and they're busy, no problem. If you get really close to them and stare at them with all your might, or try to swat or stomp them, then they have a reason to deal with you, and they only have one way to do that. Don't get stung, get back to business. If I feel like what I'm doing might be too much motion for them, I make it my business to stare at something in the distance and do a quick body-scan meditation with some nice slow breaths. I try to relax my face and my shoulders, my abs, my butt, my legs and my feet. I check my posture and roll my shoulders back on a slow, deep breath, then I use my peripheral vision to look for the animal or bee again and see where they are, while keeping my eyes fixed forward at a distant object or soft-focused so I can turn my head slowly without really looking at anything.
I ended up having a really good reason to know all of these things when I met some more wolves on the trail later that week in Colorado.
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