Last year, I received a request from my niece to take her on a birthday trip to the New England Aquarium.  A really loves animals and spent the day staring at the penguins, leafy dragon seahorses, and giant fish there in amazement.

This year, I decided our trip would be a little bit different. I had heard about a sanctuary up in Ipswich, MA that I thought would blow her away; a place called “Wolf Hollow.” Recently, A has been obsessed with wolves, so I knew it would be a perfect fit.

Though it was a little weird driving into someone’s driveway, we knew we were in the right spot when we heard the wolves howling to each other. Started in 1998, Wolf Hollow (aka the North American Wolf Foundation) dedicates itself to the education about and conservation of the gray wolf in America.

Sitting in front of the double walled fence made me feel like we were in a Jurassic Park movie and the feeling got even stronger when the wolves started to gather around their side of the fence. Wolves are both curious and shy at the same time, but it didn’t take them long to start to ignore us and pay attention to our presenter as he had snacks in his pockets for them 🙂

During the hour long program, we learned about the pack structure, eating habits, weapons of choice and their strength, and how the weather affects their fur coats.  We also learned how wolves can alter a habitat for good by keeping deer and other prey at reasonable levels which in turn helps keep overgrazing down and can alter the course of rivers!

Even just spending an hour around these animals, you could see the relationships between them as they ran around and played in their area. Many times it seemed as if they were looking right at us, trying to figure out why we were there and what was going on. Nothing like having a wolf stare at you from just 4 feet away.

Throughout the presentation, my niece said nothing except to tell me where to point the camera. This is a great trip for young people (or the young at heart) who love animals, especially since wolves are hard to see in the wild.

Things to Know Before You Go:

• There are limited hours which can be affected by the weather. Check their webpage to see if they are open or not before you trek out there.
  • From April 1 through November 30, they are open Saturdays and Sundays at 1 pm. December through March, only on Sundays
  • Adult Admission: $8.50, Seniors and 3-17: $6.00
• Put on bug spray! There are a ton of flies out there and they are HUNGRY!
• Using a telephoto lens is a good way to get around the fencing, but if you want awesome pictures you can sign up for a “Photographer’s Session.” These cost $100 and last one hour. During this time, you get to go in between the two fences and utilize some holes in the fence to take unimpeded photographs. Participants in this session MUST BE 21 years or older.