For my 50th birthday, I was given a magical gift, a trip to Wolf Watch UK. I walked with Madadh and met my adopted wolf, Anja. It’s a day I shall never forget.
Wolf Watch UK was established in 1993 by founder Tony Haighway, whose initial involvement with wolf conservation started with the rescue of a pair of wolves from a closing zoo in Warwickshire. Wolf Watch UK has gone on to provide sanctuary for over thirty displaced wolves to date. The wolves normally arrive here as a consequence of: dominance fights, zoo closures or excess breeding. Without their help many of these magnificent animals would have probably been euthanised.
The centre is located in approximately one hundred acres of remote wooded valley in Shropshire and is staffed by a team of dedicated volunteers. Wolf Watch UK is a private membership wolf conservation group. Access to the project is strictly via their Adopt-a-Wolf membership or approved wolf conservation groups and similar, with permission to bring visiting parties during pre-arranged days.
Their ethos is based entirely around the welfare of the animals and to provide them with sanctuary. They do not operate along the conventional lines of being a public paying zoo style attraction and refuse to exploit them for monetary gain. They rely solely on membership subscriptions, donations and fund raising from open days, adopt-a-wolf scheme, photography days, guided tours and associated events,
The wolves have been used in the making of many educational TV documentaries, including some prestigious ones presented by The BBC’s, Sir David Attenborough and other renowned documentary film producers. Some of the wolves have also appeared in films and television series however, they are not trained to act, they are seen as wolves being themselves and doing things that wolves do, in as near as natural habitat as possible.
Website: http://www.wolfwatch.uk/
Ref: Wolf Watch UK : Pics of Madadh & I by Chris. Left: Anja
“So dawn goes down today, nothing gold can stay.” – Robert Frost
Madadh 16.4.99 – 30.10.17
A tribute to Madadh
