Just three hours north of Toronto way up in Central Ontario is one of the most unique and beautiful destinations in the province. Haliburton Forest is a nature lovers dream. A place for hiking, mountain biking and canoeing in the summer and cross country skiing, ice fishing and dog sledding in the winter. But it is the Haliburton Forest Wild Life and Reserve that makes it so special.
Treat yourself to a rare view of a pack of wolves that live on a 15 acre reserve. The Haliburtan Forest is 70,000 acres of protected forest and its inhabitant. This pack of wolves has 15 km all to themselves free to live out their lives with as little human interaction as possible. There are wild packs of wolves Haliburton as well, but this pack are descendants from two captive wolves dating back to 1977.
A nature photographer from Michigan purchased two wolf pups over thirty years ago and took care of them and their offspring for over 3 decades. Eventually he was not able to keep the wolves and needed to find an alternate home for the pack. So, it was in 1992 that the wolves came to Ontario living on through new litters and pups.
You can visit the centre year round and it is worth it to take a couple of trips to see them roll in the snow during the winter season or to see them bask in the sun during the summer. Viewings are not guaranteed as the wolves are free to roam wherever they choose. Tourists can only view the wolves from inside a glass enclosure overlooking the feeding area, but the viewing platform is built in an ideal location where the wolves receive optimal sunlight for sunbathing. You are asked to remain quiet as you observe the wolves go on with their day. Their daily lives are disrupted as little as possible.
It is also a good location because the wolves are fed from this point. Their diet consists of mainly beaver, but sometimes they are fed deer as well. The wolves are never fed live animals, most come to the centre as victims of being hit by traffic or by local hunters bringing them in. The wolves treat the meat as a kill however and they tear at the animals with wild fury.
The feeding is where you really see the hierarchy in action. The Alpha Male eats first and is in charge of the entire pack. He and the Alpha female are the top of the food chain with the Beta male closed behind. The Omega wolf is the last to eat having to scavenge for leftovers. The omega suffers greatly in the pack, constantly being picked on by the other wolves and it is shunned by them as well. The rest of the pack is tight and plays leisurely while the omega spends its time alone.
Being true to a reserve setting. The wolf centre does not get involved. The wolves are left to live their lives as they would in the wild and it is not the humans responsibility to save the Omega. This would disrupt the pack and its entire system. Everything has a purpose, even the omega wolf. Eventually the omega will go off by itself to die, or as in some previous instances, it will be euthanized by the staff due to being too far along. And then the cycle will continue and in time, the Beta Wolf will challenge the Alpha Male and take over the group. A new omega will eventually fall to the bottom of the pack and the family will have an entire new hierarchy.
The centre is trying to educate the public about wolves as well. People have hunted wolves for decades out of fear and yet there is now concrete evidence of a healthy wolf killing a human being. In folklore the notion of the big bad wold has been perpetuated, but in actual fact, the wolf is more afraid of a human than we are of them. They avoid us at all costs. If there ever has been attacks it has usually been from a rabid wolf or a hybrid wolf dog mix.
You can visit Haliburton forest for the day for $15 or you can simply visit the wolf sanctuary for $9.00 to see the wolves. It is recommended to spend a day or two nearby rather than trying to do the trip all in one day. There is plenty of accommodation from camping to luxury resorts. Spend a few days and enjoy the beautiful wilderness spotting wildlife from Moose to otters and porcupines to loons. You won't be disappointed taking in everything that nature has to offer and enjoying the natural beauty of Central Ontario.
Treat yourself to a rare view of a pack of wolves that live on a 15 acre reserve. The Haliburtan Forest is 70,000 acres of protected forest and its inhabitant. This pack of wolves has 15 km all to themselves free to live out their lives with as little human interaction as possible. There are wild packs of wolves Haliburton as well, but this pack are descendants from two captive wolves dating back to 1977.
A nature photographer from Michigan purchased two wolf pups over thirty years ago and took care of them and their offspring for over 3 decades. Eventually he was not able to keep the wolves and needed to find an alternate home for the pack. So, it was in 1992 that the wolves came to Ontario living on through new litters and pups.
You can visit the centre year round and it is worth it to take a couple of trips to see them roll in the snow during the winter season or to see them bask in the sun during the summer. Viewings are not guaranteed as the wolves are free to roam wherever they choose. Tourists can only view the wolves from inside a glass enclosure overlooking the feeding area, but the viewing platform is built in an ideal location where the wolves receive optimal sunlight for sunbathing. You are asked to remain quiet as you observe the wolves go on with their day. Their daily lives are disrupted as little as possible.
It is also a good location because the wolves are fed from this point. Their diet consists of mainly beaver, but sometimes they are fed deer as well. The wolves are never fed live animals, most come to the centre as victims of being hit by traffic or by local hunters bringing them in. The wolves treat the meat as a kill however and they tear at the animals with wild fury.
The feeding is where you really see the hierarchy in action. The Alpha Male eats first and is in charge of the entire pack. He and the Alpha female are the top of the food chain with the Beta male closed behind. The Omega wolf is the last to eat having to scavenge for leftovers. The omega suffers greatly in the pack, constantly being picked on by the other wolves and it is shunned by them as well. The rest of the pack is tight and plays leisurely while the omega spends its time alone.
Being true to a reserve setting. The wolf centre does not get involved. The wolves are left to live their lives as they would in the wild and it is not the humans responsibility to save the Omega. This would disrupt the pack and its entire system. Everything has a purpose, even the omega wolf. Eventually the omega will go off by itself to die, or as in some previous instances, it will be euthanized by the staff due to being too far along. And then the cycle will continue and in time, the Beta Wolf will challenge the Alpha Male and take over the group. A new omega will eventually fall to the bottom of the pack and the family will have an entire new hierarchy.
The centre is trying to educate the public about wolves as well. People have hunted wolves for decades out of fear and yet there is now concrete evidence of a healthy wolf killing a human being. In folklore the notion of the big bad wold has been perpetuated, but in actual fact, the wolf is more afraid of a human than we are of them. They avoid us at all costs. If there ever has been attacks it has usually been from a rabid wolf or a hybrid wolf dog mix.
You can visit Haliburton forest for the day for $15 or you can simply visit the wolf sanctuary for $9.00 to see the wolves. It is recommended to spend a day or two nearby rather than trying to do the trip all in one day. There is plenty of accommodation from camping to luxury resorts. Spend a few days and enjoy the beautiful wilderness spotting wildlife from Moose to otters and porcupines to loons. You won't be disappointed taking in everything that nature has to offer and enjoying the natural beauty of Central Ontario.
About the Author:
Deb Corbeil and Dave Bouskill are an adventure couple from Canada. They have trekked, hiked, biked and climbed to over 30 countries all over the world. Learn moreon their website ThePlanetd.com for more tips, advice and information on travel and adventure locations. To see their photo gallery check out PicturethePlanet.com
