Wolf Sanctuary

Birthdays come around once a year, and although it's a reminder of getting older, it's also a chance for us to celebrate the small miracle of being alive. 

This year, I chose to do something a little bit different. I came across the Wolf Conservation Center a little while ago when researching activities in New York state. They have overnight programs every weekend during the summer months, where you not only learn about the wolves and their relationship to the environment, but you also get to camp among them for the night. 

We drove an hour north of Manhattan and arrived in South Salem, NY. Lush green invited us into the conservation site, leading us to a row of 4-person tents -- our home for the evening. We quickly unpacked and headed down to the small cabin at the base of the hill, and got a run-down of the night's activities. From their live enclosure webcam, we could see 1.5 month-old red wolf pups running around, chasing each other, and practicing dominance for their adulthood through harmless play. The pups' mother had taught them well, however, and would promptly hide whenever humans approached.

We headed outside and, following our guide's lead, let rip a massive, human howl to signify our impending presence to the adult wolves. To my surprise and amazement, we received a thundering chorus of howls in return. We eagerly headed up towards the enclosures, not a few hundred feet from our own tents. There, we saw these magnificent beasts of the wild. 

Captured below are some photographs of the oldest (and my personal favourite) wolf: Atka.