HOME | DD
FurLined β Young Stag
by-nc-sa
#deer #red #reference #stag #stock #young
Published: 2016-01-27 20:26:18 +0000 UTC; Views: 468; Favourites: 30; Downloads: 8
Redirect to original
Related content
Comments: 9
By the way, where do you capture these photos, especially the wolf ones?
π: 0 β©: 1
The deer photos I took at a large park in London - the deer are wild, but they're used to people being around.
The wolves are captive wolves at the UK Wolf Conservation Trust - they're kept in large enclosures, and some of the wolves which have been socialised with humans from birth are taken on enrichment walks by the Trust staff. So most of my wolf photos have been on occasional visits to the Trust.
π: 0 β©: 1
You can actually walk up close to the wolves? That sounds so fricking cool
π: 0 β©: 1
Only the staff are allowed in the enclosures (but it's possible to get great photos through the fencing), but you can get fairly close on the enrichment walks (however you can't just go and stroke them, as they're not really tame - you have to treat them as wild animals mostly. However if the wolf is relaxed enough on an enrichment walk they do have carefully supervised sessions for visitors to have a chance to scratch the wolf's belly - www.flickr.com/photos/furlinedβ¦
π: 0 β©: 1
Well, I kinda expected not to be allowed to go into the enclosures for the safety of the animals, but being allowed to pet them? *^*
Now I want to come to the UK again really really badly D:
π: 0 β©: 1
In the safety briefing the handlers say a wolf will occasionally become interested in learning a bit more about the person rubbing their belly - if that happens they will try and smell their breath, so they instruct you to remain calm and just breath out slowly if the wolf lifts their head towards your face. It's never happened to me, but I've photographed it happening a couple of times:
π: 0 β©: 1
These wolves are so handsome *^* Do you actually pay for these walks? And if so, how much?
π: 0 β©: 1
The trust have a "walking membership" where you currently pay Β£125 a year, and as part of that membership you get to go on a walk with the wolves during the year (and can bring one person along for free), and can go on additional walks cheaper:
ukwct.org.uk/index.php?page=waβ¦
Occasionally they do walking events to just pay to go along to, like these with their arctic wolves:
ukwct.org.uk/index.php?page=arβ¦
The pages don't mention the wolf meet-and-greet belly rubs, so I don't know if they're still doing those as part of the walks - it depends on the temperament of the wolves!
π: 0 β©: 1
Oh my, that's expensive D: But this still looks so fricking cool, in my opinion wolves or canines in general are the most beautiful animals on this planet but sadly the opportunities to get close to them are very rare - especially since neither me nor most of my friends own dogs :/ Well, maybe someday when I have business in the UK I'll join one of these walks
π: 0 β©: 0