Wolf Pups

Last month,

I vaguely mentioned in this post 

about hoping to visit this magical place again

(you should know, readers Peter,

that I don't use the word magical lightly)

well, needless to say,

Seacrest Wolf Preserve didn't disappoint. 

Just look at that little nugget.

Seacrest Wolf Preserve is a wonderful place

dedicated to sharing beauty and knowledge of these majestic creatures

with anyone interested. 

Wolves are definitely in my top 5 for favorite animals,

and they are my friend Anne's numero uno

so for her birthday last year, 

we all piled in a car and headed 2 hours West of Tallahassee

to Chipley, Florida

to check out the wolf preserve via the weekly tour they offer.

It was both fascinating and fun.

The passion that the Seacrest volunteers have for these animals 

shows clearly throughout the tour.

My friends and I all learned so much,

and it was a wonderful experience. If you live in North Florida

definitely check out Seacrest. 

It is a really special place.

The Arctic wolves were especially sweet and friendly

I think this guy was a gray wolf.

At the end of the tour is a wildlife rescue

with everything from sweet skunks 

to gray and Arctic foxes

(who happened to be less than interested in posing for photos with us)

 It was only during our first visit to Seacrest

that we learned about the wolf pup cuddle sessions.

Guys, this is not a joke.

Both the gray and Arctic wolves are bred

so that their pups may be shared for educational purposes

And from a very young age they are pulled from the pack

in order to be accustomed to interacting with humans

as they will soon be sent across the country

to various wolf education programs and rescues

to teach more people about the true nature of wolves.

Needless to say, after my second arduous practice exam, 

snuggling with wolf babies was the perfect reward 

Taken with Anne's iPhone. clearly, we both <3 toms

This little one was the baby of Anne's favorite wolf, who died a few weeks ago :(

After cuddling with the wolf cubs, 

we obviously had to peruse the gift shop,

which is packed with all kinds of wolf paraphernalia

including these incredible wolf shirts.

(a bonus because all profits go to caring for the wolves

which beats supporting wal-mart any day.)

Needless to say,

I recommend checking out the Wolf Preserve if you go to FSU 

or live in North Florida. 

It's an incredible place.

The tour is $15, and Chipley is under 2 hours away- 

easily a day trip on a cooler Saturday.

(do NOT go in the summer. I'm not kidding, guys.

Florida heat and humidity is brutal.)

Avoid open-toed shoes or leather

as the wolves like to eat it (apparently)

and be sure to read more precise guidelines on the website

The one thing I would recommend

(besides going at a cooler time of the year)

is calling up the preserve for directions

as they've built a new road recently, 

making online directions a little bit tricky.

Wolf pup cudding is open early May-early June.

Check the website for specific dates,

as they change yearly.

Wolf tours are open Saturdays year-round.