Jack Hanna's Wolf Exhibit at Busch Gardens Europe

Will these do?

I took these on a recent trip (last year, actually) to Busch Gardens Europe (in Williamsburg, Virginia), an EXCELLENT theme park which does a lot of good work, through the organization of animal naturalist Jack Hanna, with eagles and wolves. Here are a couple of pics (I plan to return and take more and better shots).

I should note that this was the first time I had ever seen wolves in person. Even from a distance. Out here in New Jersey (and a large portion of the east coast of the U.S.), you just won't get a chance to see (or hear) them unless its in a nature preserve of this kind (or one dedicated to wolf preservation exclusively). Or a zoo. As my friends and I approached the location, we could hear the wolves howling, and it sent a chill down my spine to be sure! Not out of fright...but of utter and overwhelmed amazement and joy. It was beautiful...and it went right through me...even choked me up (literally). I had heard them howl hundreds of times on television and on DVD documentaries...and have heard coyotes howl in real life (and seen them up close in the wilds). But I'd never heard wolves in real life...and really, the coyotes couldn't hold a candle to the power and majesty of a wolf's howl. That I have come to know by DIRECT experience now.

The animals were beautiful. They had a comfortable enclosure for them, and then they did a show which repeated during certain times of the day, featuring members of the pack that was being raised there. The trainers worked with them in such a way that the wolves responded to trained commands, but not campy, circus-style stuff. You could CLEARLY see that the trainers and handlers had great respect for the animals, and did not act like they were "members" of the pack. And the wolves, each of which was raised from pups by them, seemed to really like them too. And the alpha male - good LORD was that fellow HUGE! (The head trainer also had to explain how the alpha male was an expert at eliciting a belly rub from the trainers, pretty much on demand, by playing on them at the most inconvenient times...like during a show! Which the male did for us! lol That was amusing! And the wolf seemed to be milking the moment for all it was worth! )

These were timber wolves...and they were simply amazing! (During the show, they had a small enclosed, level ampitheater - without seats, with the stage separated from the crowd by a deep empty "moat" and some sort of fencing - I don't exactly remember what kind. However, we were still able to get a VERY good view of the wolves, and there were few bad areas from which to watch the show...in fact, I'd say that it was entirely possible to stand within no less than ten feet of a wolf at any time...which is pretty darned good!)

Anyway - here are the photos (and like I said, when I go back next summer, I will take more):