Heroes of the wolves
The second in a series of articles about Wolf Centers and Preserves across North America
Located just about 50 miles outside San Diego near the town of Julian, the California Wolf Center was founded in 1977 to educate the world on ecology and the wildlife. It currently has several packs of gray wolves, and is one of the mainstays of the SSP program to return the Mexican gray wolf to the wild. The California Wolf Center also has webcams for its wolves, as well as a wildlife handling course.
Recently, I was able to get a hold of Chelsea Davis, the Animal Care and Facilities Manager of the California Wolf Center and ask her a few questions about the CWC. Here's what she had to say!
#1- How large is the California Wolf Center in total?
The California Wolf Center is roughly 50 acres split between two different parcels of land. We have a total of 6 wolf habitats that range from a quarter of an acre to three acres in size. We have a small staff that operates our animal care facility with the help of a dedicated group of volunteers. Although we are located in the small town of Julian, CA, we have a broad impact on wolf recovery through our leading role in the Mexican Wolf Species Survival Plan (a bi-national recovery effort for the critically endangered Mexican gray wolf) and through our outreach education programs throughout the state of California.
#2- What is it like getting to work with one of nature's greatest predators on a daily basis?
For me personally, working with wolves has been a dream come true. Wolves have always been an animal that fascinated me, from their hunting style to their pack dynamics. Getting to work with the animals themselves each day is amazing. Getting to work with conservation through the Mexican Wolf Species Survival Plan has been an added bonus. I get to work with one of the most critically endangered mammals on earth and have a direct impact helping the recovery of this endangered subspecies of gray wolf.
#3- What kind and how many total wolves are at the California Wolf Center?
We currently house nineteen wolves total. Five are Alaskan gray wolves that are an ambassador pack of wolves. These wolves help with the educational component of our mission by allowing the general public, school and youth groups, and researchers to observe their natural behavior and learn from them. It is rare to see wolves in the wild, so we offer a way for people to make a personal connection with wolves and to learn about the important role they play in our environment. The remaining wolves we house are Mexican gray wolves. We have one pack of Mexican gray wolves on display so that we can teach people the importance of conserving this critically endangered wolf. The rest of our Mexican gray wolves are off display because many have the chance to be part of the ongoing reintroduction efforts in New Mexico and Arizona. Because there is chance that these wolves might be released into the wild, we do not want them getting used to people, and keeping them off display allows them to retain their wild nature.
#4- As Animal Care Manager, what are your daily duties?
My primary responsibilities are to manage animal care for the Center's resident wolves, to maintain a safe environment for the wolves and for visitors and staff, and to assist with the Center's education and outreach efforts. Because working with wildlife can sometimes involve the unexpected, I do not have a "standard" day. Sometimes I am out cleaning and maintaining wolf habitats and building dens for the wolves. Other times I am helping in the office to arrange educational tours and coordinate wolf food pick ups. Most days, it starts with going out first thing in the morning to perform health and behavior observations on each wolf for our official animal care records. Habitat cleaning only happens twice a week. Due to the shy nature of wolves and the large sizes of the habitats, cleaning isn’t needed more often, and it allows the wolves to have their space. Once cleaning is done, it's normally on to that day's projects. We are always updating things and changing things for the better at the center, and all these changes help keep me busy. In the evenings, we feed the wolves. They are most active at this time, so it allows them to eat their food without ravens or squirrels stealing it first. Some of my days are used to help with education while others are spent helping with fundraising efforts. Because the California Wolf Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, all of our staff and volunteers help with fundraising. The staff also conduct research and assist visiting researchers so that we can better understand wolf behavior and how to better protect wolves in the wild.
#5- What can the readers do to support the California Wolf Center?
We are a non-profit and receive no government funding. We rely heavily on donations, memberships and our educational programs to support our conservation efforts. People can visit www.calfiorniawolfcenter.org to give donations, become a member or to book a tour to visit, and all of these help support the California Wolf Center. We also have a volunteer program and an internship program for people looking to volunteer time and gain experience working with wildlife and public education.
Also, I just wanted to add that, coming up in October is the Wolf Awareness Week event at the CWC with special guest Christina Eisenberg, Wolf Expert, Author and Conservation Advocate! To get more information on this event go to http://www.californiawolfcenter.org/special-events/wolf-awareness-week/ .
Thanks for reading and stay tuned for the next Hero of the wolves!
Robert Elder III
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