Skift Take
Tourists are welcome to visit Wolf Haven International in Washington state, but the needs of the sanctuary's residents — which include two species of wolves, wolf-dogs, and coyotes — are always prioritized. The sanctuary's co-manager Pamela Maciel Cabañas is devoted to making sure that happens.
If you plan a visit to Wolf Haven International in Tenino, Washington, there's a good chance you may see some wolves, but you should know: There is no guarantee.
While a visit without any sightings may sometimes result in a letdown for visitors, that's by design. Welcoming roughly 10,000 visitors per year, the facility is a sanctuary, not a wild animal park or zoo. According to Wolf Haven sanctuary's co-manager, Pamela Maciel Cabañas, that means that the animals' preferences and welfare always comes before human wants and desires. "If the animals want to be seen, it’s their choice."
It's a philosophy that runs through all of Maciel Cabañas' work at Wolf Haven. The facility is home to 55 animals: a mixture of Mexican gray wolves, red wolves, several hybrid wolf-dogs, and two coyotes. Both gray wolves and red wolves have been listed as endangered since the 1970s.
All of the animals were born in captivity. About half are rescues from the pet trade or roadside attractions that will spend their lives at Wolf Haven and be prevented from breeding. The other half are members of what is called a Species Survival Plan. These are captive breeding programs done in conjunction with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, an internationally recognized accreditation scheme.
The intent of these programs is to build
