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Handling methods in Wolf Park
Research Blog, 28.04.2009, Bea Belenyi
I arrived in Wolf Park for more than a week ago. All humans and animals are here very calm and relaxed, and this is also true for the interactions with the wolves. Wolves are not dominated in a physical way here (there is no handling like pushing them down, or they do not force the animals to do something). Every member of the staff, who is working with the wolves, know the wolves very well, and they know how to interpret the behavior of the wolves. They observe the wolf’s reaction very detailed, and interact with them according to that. To notice the mood-changing of the wolves in time needs a long time experience and practice.
New people, like sponsors or the participants of different seminars, are also able to meet the wolves of the main pack, in which pack are 6 wolves currently living. The animals are happy to become visit and they usually go to the people just to be petted.
To prevent boredom in captivity, the wolves here usually get training sessions and are allowed to go to a bison-hunt, meet new people. There are several events such like howl nights, guided tours, or a birthday party for the four-pawed residents of the Wolf-park.
There is for every event a special guided tour, so that visitors are always well-informed about what is happening, and they have the opportunity to learn more about wolves and their behavior.
For the birthday party we prepared the cakes a day before, it contained eggs, cheese, sausages, ham, bacon and even some bison-meat. The candles were made form small sausages. The wolves were very happy to get it and ate it immediately.
It is really interesting for me, to go into the enclosure and watch how humans and wolves interact. It is not common, that wolves are so calm and relaxed and that they like the visit from unfamiliar people so much. They go to greet them and enjoy being petted by new people as well. But before meeting the wolves, everybody has to go to a security-seminar. The wolf-handler explain there the threat-signs what wolves can show, and how to react in such case. Of course the main rule is always following the instructions given by the personal.
