Wolf Haven International facts for kids
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| Formation | 1982 |
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| Type | 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization |
| Purpose | To conserve and protect wolves and their habitat |
| Headquarters | Tenino, Washington |
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Wolf Haven International is a special place in Tenino, Washington. It's a home for wolves and a non-profit group. It was started in 1982 by Steve and Linda Kuntz. This organization teaches people about wolves. They also work to protect wolves and their homes. Wolf Haven gives a safe place to wolves born in captivity. These wolves cannot live in the wild.
Wolf Haven also helps two types of endangered wolves. These are the red wolf and the Mexican wolf. They have special programs to help these wolves have pups. Some Mexican gray wolves born here are prepared for release. They go back to the wild in the Southwest United States. Wolf Haven is one of only three places that does this.
More than 55 animals live on their 82-acre refuge. Visitors can tour a part of the refuge by making a reservation. The animals include gray wolves, Mexican wolves, red wolves, and wolfdogs. There are also two coyotes. Wolf Haven recently took over another sanctuary in Montana. This new place has 35 more wolves. So, Wolf Haven International now cares for almost 100 animals!
Contents
Discover Wolf Haven International
How Wolf Haven Began
Steve and Linda Kuntz started Wolf Haven International. In 1978, they bought a wolf pup in Colorado. They did not know wolves were endangered then. Later, they met Ed and his wife, who cared for eight wolves. These wolves came from research groups and a zoo that closed. Ed and his wife ran a group called Wolf Country Foundation.
Early Challenges and Moves
In 1980, Ed and his wife moved from Colorado. It was too costly to run their wolf care there. They tried to move to Wyoming but could not get a permit for the wolves. So, they moved to South Prairie, Washington. They set up their wolf home on 4 acres of land. Neighbors, mostly ranchers, had concerns about the wolves. They worried about noise and safety. The city then made a rule. It said the wolf facility needed neighbor approval.
Later, the city made it illegal to own wolves. So, the group moved again. They went to Tenino, Washington, near Olympia. They had 22 wolves by then. An anonymous supporter donated land for them. The new location had lots of space between the wolves and neighbors. The Kuntzes joined as helpers. Volunteers kept teaching about wolves and caring for them. Washington state also made wolf ownership illegal after this. But Wolf Haven was given a special permission to continue.
Becoming Wolf Haven International
In early 1982, Ed and his wife gave the organization to the Kuntzes. On September 10, 1982, the Kuntzes made it a non-profit group. They called it Wolf Haven America. Volunteers kept working to educate people and house wolves. These wolves needed homes and might have been harmed otherwise. In 1990, the group changed its name. It became Wolf Haven International. This showed their care for wolves all over the world. They also grew to have a board of directors and paid staff. Wolf Haven has given a home to over 250 wolves. These wolves were rescued from unsuitable places.
In 2018, Wolf Haven added a second sanctuary. It was the McCleery Buffalo Wolf Foundation in Bridger, Montana. This new place is now called McCleery Ranch. It provides a home for 35 more wolves.
How Wolf Haven Works
Wolf Haven International has a special license from the USDA. This license allows them to care for wolves. Many dedicated volunteers help run the sanctuary. There are also 16 paid staff members. A board of directors guides all the work. An executive director leads the board and the organization.
What Wolf Haven Does Today
Wolf Haven International is a highly respected sanctuary. It was accredited by the American Sanctuary Association in 2014. It also earned accreditation from the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries in 2015. Wolf Haven is the only wolf sanctuary in the world with global accreditation. This means it meets very high standards for animal care.
Caring for Many Wolves
The Olympian newspaper calls Wolf Haven International "one of the top wolf sanctuaries." When it first opened, 22 wolves lived there. By 1991, there were 36 wolves. In 2006, the 80-acre home had 47 wolves. About 12,000 visitors come to the facility each year. They see gray wolves, Mexican gray wolves, and red wolves. Some wolfdogs also live there. In the wild, wolves usually live 4–9 years. But at Wolf Haven, some have lived to be 15–19 years old!
Educating and Protecting Wolves
Wolf Haven publishes a magazine called Wolf Tracks. It comes out four times a year. Donating members receive this magazine. The Winter 2009 issue won an APEX Award for Publication Excellence. This award was for "One-of-a-Kind Scientific & Environmental Publications." In 2006, Rand McNally featured Wolf Haven. They called it one of "50 Adventures Within 15 Minutes of Interstate (Interstate 5)."
Wolf Haven also inspires books. In 2016, a photo book called Wolf Haven: Sanctuary and the Future of Wolves in North America was published. It had photos by Annie Marie Musselman and writing by Brenda Peterson. A children's book followed this. It was called Lobos, A Wolf Family Returns to the Wild. This book told a true story. It was about Mexican gray wolves born at Wolf Haven. They were later released into the wild in Mexico.
