Canis roooooooooooo-fus

So in a previous post I described the fire that is devouring Alligator River Wildlife Refuge, and the awe of going there to see the burnt forest.  What I did not mention is that this refuge is also the site of the Red Wolf Recovery Program, a USFWS effort started in 1987 to re-introduce the endangered animals into the wild from captive-bred animals.  To learn more about the animal, the program, and its success, follow this link.

Last night just as the sun was setting, the Play Corps team was taken onto the refuge by Bonnie Strawser, director of visitor experiences (also our friend now).  We very quietly drove many miles into the refuge, part of the way without headlights, and very silently exited the vehicles, hardly making a sound as we shut the doors.  By now we were in total darkness, lit by a full moon and surrounded by glittering lightning bugs and screaming peepers and other frogs.  Bonnie left us and several minutes later we heard her solitary howl to the small pack of captive wolves currently held in the refuge.  We waited, flexing our listening muscles and holding our breaths.  Then we heard them.  One voice at first, but it was soon supported by a second and then more.  There were long songs, low and high tones, short yips chiming in, voices that sounded like screams... together sounding like a beautiful, perhaps frightening, orchestra of animals hiding in the dark woods.

Eventually, they quieted down and then it was our turn.  Together we howled at the moon, trying to mimic the sounds we had just heard.  All 20 of us howled and yipped-- being part of that gave me a feeling not quite like anything else ever.  I guess we have kind of become a pack ourselves in our first week together.

We listened for the wolf pack to answer our second howl.  This time there was a longer pause.  Perhaps we sounded like a larger pack than they wanted to mess with, or were trying to figure out why they heard more voices the second time.  Eventually, though, they answered with their yells, both beautiful and eerie.

The Wolf Howl is a public program conducted at the refuge once a week, all summer in June, July, and August.  It is their most popular program, and I totally understand why!