It was a sparkling late August day, typical of New Hampshire's Lakes Region. Blue sky, fair weather clouds, and glacier-made lakes reflecting the first signs of fall. Too soon for leaf-peepers but not yet Labor Day, so there were still plenty of tourists thronging to the outlets and "family attractions." We had a different destination as we drove east into Maine and meandered north criss-crossing the state line until we turned off on a dirt road that led us back over a mile into the land of the wolf and wolf-dog.
Fred Keating started taking in animals over 20 years ago when a small pack of wolf dogs lived in his back yard. The small group grew as people learned that there was someone who would take the animals in. Neighbors didn't take kindly to having a wolf pack in the town, nor to the nightly chorus of wolf song. So as land became available, Fred created the refuge with donations and grants, and moved his four-legged friends to a new home where they live as wolves should.
And so it was we were creeping along that dirt road to the Loki Clan Wolf Refuge. Keating created the refuge for wolf-dogs on about 63 acres of way-out-there land on the Maine/New Hampshire border. Once he was a breeder himself, but found that people don't understand how much wolf there is in the combination, and didn't take care of them properly. Too often, the animals ended up at the humane society or were simply abandoned. Since any wolf-dog that goes to an animal shelter cannot be adopted out, it was a one-way journey.
On rolling land of trees and brush, he has fenced in 17 pens of an acre or more that the wolves share in small packs, just as they would live in nature. The high fences keep them in their areas, and access to the refuge is restricted to protect both the animals and foolish humans. All the animals have been rescued from as far away as California – one was even found wandering the streets of Bedford-Stuyvesant in New York City. They have been neutered, and many are used to and even fond of humans.
It was this last that we found fascinating. Fred's assistant, Dan, gave us a tour and introduced us to some of the animals that he helps care for. The first one we met was Tinga, a wolf-malamute cross who had just arrived from Vermont. He was in a pen by himself near the entrance so that they could observe him, learn about his personality, and decide which pack he would join.
Dan told us that these animals have an IQ similar to an 8 to 14 year old human, and that they will naturally roam 30 to 60 miles a day, just as a wolf will. Imagine a pre-teenager with long legs, fangs, jaws that bite with more than 1,500 pounds per square inch of force, and a desire to roam. Wolves make some 60 sounds for vocal communication, and use a complex body language, too.
What was most surprising was how friendly some of these creatures are. Even Tinga, who was new, came up to the fence and licked our hands. And as we walked around, some watched from back in the woods with those yellow wolf eyes that see into your soul, but many came to the fence to sniff, lick, and lean into the fence so that we could scratch their heads and backs.
Since it was daytime, we didn't think we would get to hear the wolf song, but all of a sudden one voice started, then another, and the howling rolled up the hill to where we stood. For about 15 seconds there were dozens of voices raised in mournful howl. Then suddenly they stopped all at once. Dan laughed and said, "They're just gossiping." Whatever it was, standing a few feet from a wolf-dog as she raised her head and howled with the chorus was the highlight of our visit.
All the photos were taken that day, including the improbable sight of a wolf eating watermelon – buy yes, that is Atlas' favorite treat!
As we left, I was more than happy to make a donation to help support the refuge. I admire people who find a cause that matters to them and who are able to make it their life's work. Fred Keating lives simply – more simply than most of us would like – but he has ravens, eagles, and coyotes for neighbors in the rolling mountains of New Hampshire and Maine, and some 76 wolf-dogs as friends in the wild.
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