Take a walk on the wild side with the Wolf Connection sanctuary
Wolf Connection lead program facilitator Laurie Cousins walks Neo at the nonprofit wolf sanctuary in the mountains above Los Angeles. Photo by Nancy Redford
On a recent spring day I drove north along Highway 14 toward the Angeles National Forest to “Wander with the Wolves.” I wanted to “see the world through the eyes of a wolf,” so an invitation to join a 2.5-hour tour in mountain air was irresistible.
I arrived at the sprawling 165-acre Wolf Heart Ranchalong with a dozen others armed with water, sunblock and cameras. Since 2009, the nonprofit Wolf Connection has sheltered, medically cared for and rehabilitated 91 wolves and wolf dogs rescued from illegal exotic animal breeding, neglect and abuse. These animals have been born in captivity without the skills to survive in the wild, and yet most cannot conform to domesticity.
Animal control agencies consider these animals dangerous and are required to euthanize them within three days unless a sanctuary rescues them. Just as important to their mission, the Wolf Connection provides immersive programs for visitors to experience a kinship with these animals and to unlearn the pathology of fear and hate that results in the eradication of so-called “big, bad wolves.” In truth, wolves are conflict-avoidant, highly intelligent, socially interdependent pack animals with a crucial role in wildlife ecosystems.
Our guide is Laurie Cousins. She joined Wolf Connection seven years ago. “It’s my place of refuge,” she says as we walk toward the wolf dens. “Everyone who comes here experiences a deep connection with these animals.” And almost on cue a chorus of wolf howls fills the air, over 47 creatures in unison.
Our group gathers seated in a circle. Some are lifelong wolf lovers, others simply curious. Cousins walks wolf Wynter on a leash and slowly circles our group. We get our first touch of the thick mane and a look into her amber eyes, and feel a primal symbiosis. We move into a spacious gated corral where the animals are housed in separate habitats. Some wolves rest, others pace curiously forward for a look at us while we learn their backstories. Cousins leads Neo and we hike alongside through the chaparral. At a clearing we are asked to take a seat on the ground to seem less dominating and make it easier for him to meet us. There is a palpable emotionality to having a wolf encounter, and I felt honored to have gotten a wolf “kiss”—a gentle tap of his muzzle on my hand.
Back at the gathering circle we listen to each other’s experience: magical, transformational, awesome. “These wolves are champions of resilience,” Cousins tells us. “As you saw, they are not their traum. They know their own worth and live cooperatively. Wolves adapt roles for the greater good of the pack: trackers, nannies, hunters, omegas, betas or alphas. Contrary to folklore, a lone wolf is a dead wolf. They instinctually live in a pack for safety, greater health and a sustainable existence. Here at Wolf Connection we believe this is a crucial and timely lesson for humanity.”
To learn more visit wolfconnnection.org.
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