By. Anuradha
We have all mostly seen wolves in movies, TV shows and documentaries about wildlife unless you live closer to a place with wolves. Even if you are lucky enough to spot them in their natural habitats, most of the times we do not want to get closer to them as they are very well known for their ferocity and for being angry beasts who will not hesitate to have a bite out of you. So, despite their beauty and magnificence, wolves always remain out of our touch.
However, we recently heard of a place in Anacortes in the state of Washington near Seattle and right next to Vancouver past the Canadian border. This place is called Heart Sanctuary and is the home of hundreds of wolves. The best thing about this sanctuary is that you not only get the chance to spot wolves but you also get to be with them. There are some sweet and tame ones with whom you can cuddle and have a closer friendship with.
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Many people visit this sanctuary to have this once-in-a-life-time opportunity and I am sure that you would surely be envious to see the beautiful pictures that these people take with their wolf-mates. However, you need to be 18+ to visit the place. So, if you are still not up to that age, maybe you can ask your parents to celebrate your 18th here! Before coming you have to book a guide and the available dates for touring and prices are mentioned here.
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According to professor Wynne from Arizona State University, most wolves do not usually act as friendly as those at the sanctuary in Washington. However, “a wild animal can, with skill and patience, be raised to be willing to react in a friendly way towards humans.” So, according to the professor, “people should always do some due diligence before taking a sanctuary’s word for it that their animals are harmless”.
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We also wanted to know how well the global grey wolf population is thriving currently. Wynne pointed out that “wolves do OK in parts of the world where the human population is very sparse: places like Canada, Alaska, and Siberia. But in most parts of the globe with a significant human population, wolves are in a difficult situation and will need continuous protection from and by people.”
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This sanctuary is also the home to many other predators. So, you need to be extremely careful when you visit it. However, we can guarantee that it would be a nice experience and if you have previous experiences being here, then do not forget to share them with us!