Day Trip
Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary offers a howling good time

Raven, a wolf raised with dogs, waits patiently as Michael Seymour, 11, and a flock of children surround and shower him with affection during a tour at the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary near Ramah. [Independent File Photo]

By Mike Marino
Cibola County Bureau

CIBOLA COUNTY — Most people cannot escape the magical images conjured up by a wolf's howl.

Here in the mountains of New Mexico it's a common sound, and anyone who has seen "Dances With Wolves" can feel the Native American spirit associated with them. A road trip to the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary is not only a chance to visit these amazing creatures of nature and lore, but also an educational experience, too.

The 80-acre wolf sanctuary located on BIA 120 just four miles west of BIA 125 is a journey well worth the trip for young and old alike as well as for individuals, families and school groups. The non-profit sanctuary is home for abused and abandoned wolves and wolf dogs. Since these wolves have no natural experience in the wild, once they are placed in the sanctuary, they can never be released into a wild environment.

James Paulson, outreach coordinator for the wolf sanctuary said, "We currently have 59 wolves in our care. Ideally we like to have only 50 to 55, but the need is there, so we took them in. The problem is epidemic today with people buying these bred wolves and then finding out they are not the best pet, so they call us and other facilities to try to find placement for the animals."

The wolf sanctuary received 13,000 visitors last year and although many are from New Mexico, others come from overseas as do many of the sanctuary's volunteers.

"We had one couple from England last year who flew to New York from London and rented motorcycles to tour the country and ended up in San Francisco. When they were there, someone they met mentioned the sanctuary, and they hopped on their motorcycles and made their way here to visit the us," Paulson said.

Educational programs is another important function of the sanctuary. It provides programs for schools where a sociable wolf visits a classroom or classes tour the sanctuary. During the school year, the sanctuary handles about 10 educational groups a week.

This year, various scout groups are trying to arrange their jamborees around the sanctuary to learn about wolves and in some cases work on the grounds earning merit badges by helping to clean up, learning how to feed the wolves and caring for them.

The problems of abused wolves don't always have a happy ending either, Paulson said, "Every year in North America there are over 100,000 wolf dogs put to sleep and the problem is only growing."

In addition to visiting the wolves and learning about them, the sanctuary also has a rustic campground in a wooded area where visitors can enjoy the outdoors and listen to the wolves howl at night.

The sanctuary also has trained guides that help visitors walk with the wolves, but no dancing is allowed. Shutterbugs can also sign up for a private tour inside the fenced in area to get up close and personal with these wonderful and beautiful creatures.

The Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary is open Tuesday through Sundays and offers tours running throughout the day beginning at 11 a.m. For more information on visiting the sanctuary, volunteer opportunities or to find out more about an educational program, contact the sanctuary at (505) 775-3304.

To get to the sanctuary from Grants, take Highway 53 south about 50 miles and just two miles past El Morro. Look for a sign that says Mountainview and Pine Hill, turn left onto BIA 125 for eight miles and turn right onto BIA 120, a gravel road, for four miles.

From Gallup, take Highway 602 south to Highway 53 and turn left, go through Ramah, and ten miles past Ramah is the intersection with BIA 125.