Review of the Northern Lights Wolf Center

The Northern Lights Wolf Center is located between Golden, BC, and Revelstoke, being closer to Golden. It is about a 10 minute drive off the highway. 

While driving from Golden to Revelstoke this past summer (July 2012) we saw signs "Wolves", and "Wolf Puppies" and made a plan to stop there on the way home (we were on vacation to Vancouver).

To be honest were expecting something different so were slightly disappointed in the Northern Lights Wolf Center however overall we were still glad we stopped. We expect to see wolves moving around in a more wild setting but it was hot summer day and they were snoozing in cages. The cages themselves were not too bad. 

They did have wolf puppies but the puppies were a few months old when we saw them, actually we only saw one and it was asleep. I would suggest anyone looking to see younger puppies to visit earlier in the year, perhaps May or June.

We were impressed with the interpretive displays, they had lots of information on wolves and other Canadian wildlife. They also had lots of information regarding various petitions supporting protection for wildlife.

Additionally the Northern Lights Wolf Center had information on the Karelian Bear Dogs, and owned a couple of such dogs too. These dogs are used to teach bears to stay away from human areas and as such the goal would be to avoid fewer bear problems which sometimes result in bears being shot and killed. 

Apparently they do also have “walks with wolves” available in which a person could get better pictures than we got. They are open daily, even in the winter, but I would advise you check the weather and road conditions before making a trip in the winter.

As far as roadside zoos and attractions go, I would rate this one as fair. I would say it is worth stopping at if you are driving through the area and like wolves. The enclosures were pretty good, they had trees, shade, shelter, and interesting areas for the wolves. Had I seen any signs of cruelty or suffering I would not encourage any visitors to this wolf center. The people are clearly trying to do what they think is right; offering education, and are not just in it for the money.

I want to add that keeping wolves as pets is not a good idea.  If you are somebody who wants a wolf for this reason you should have a proper facility similar to the one at the Northern Lights Wolf Center, allowing the wolves to live at least somewhat naturally.

Feeding Wildlife in Stanley Park, the Raccoons

We recently took a holiday to Vancouver, Canada. Our hotel was within walking distance of Stanley Park, a 1,000 acre park, surrounded nearly all the way by ocean. On our first night we walked to the Aquarium, and on the way we saw a family of raccoons, a mother and her two youngsters, raiding a garbage can.

The following day we walked around Stanley Park and sure enough we encountered more raccoons, including another mother with three youngsters and an adult who was missing a tail. There was a man feeding them what appeared to be fried chicken. A short time later a woman arrived to feed them grapes and cat food. Other people fed them cookies. 

To note, I am aware that grapes can be toxic to dogs, but not sure how they affect raccoons.

We spoke to many of the people who were feeding the raccoons and many said they made daily trips to feed the raccoons and other animals in the park. The people said that the park's people did not like them feeding the animals. They also told us that the parks people trapped and killed many animals every year.

Raccoons normally would eat fish (there are ponds in the park), crabs (from the ocean), insects, worms, as well as nuts, berries, and eggs.

We did not confirm if the parks people did trap and kill raccoons or not, but clearly there was a dilemma.

The parks people want the animals to be “wild” and to fend for themselves, feeding them can cause problems as their fear of people can turn them into pests. Normally raccoons are nocturnal but these were out in the day. 

If one bit a person there would be a rabies panic. The people felt terrible that the animals were being killed to control their populations, so were thinking that feeding them would mean animals would not be killed.  One persons said they thought the raccoons were being killed to stop them from eating the goose and duck eggs, but we also heard that duck and goose populations were being controlled too (supposedly people were shaking their eggs so they would not hatch).

Additionally a problem was occurring in that some people were feeding very unhealthy foods (cookies) to the animals. The people said they have gotten in trouble many times for feeding the animals but refused to stop.

I am not suggesting people do feed wild raccoons, however clearly some people are not going to stop doing so. It would be better if the people simply fed the animals a better diet, and did so later in the day so the animals could live more naturally.

Raccoons can eat cat food, ferret food, most vegetables (not onions, garlic, avocados), eggs, and fish. They should not have cookies, greasy foods, salty foods, and so forth.

Maybe the park's people could do the same as is done in some areas to control feral cats, they could trap the animals, spay or neuter some, and release them. Perhaps this is already being done and people are just not aware. Or the park's people could arrange for the raccoons to be relocated to wild areas, or to zoos.

As tourists we enjoyed seeing these animals, and hope they continue to inhabit areas of Stanley Park.

Click here to see more pictures of the Raccoons in Vancouver's Stanley Park.

The Slow Loris is an Illegal Pet

The slow loris is a primate that has gained attention through a few YouTube videos.  As so often happens when "cute animal" videos come out, somebody insists they want to obtain that animal as a pet.  The slow loris, however, should not be kept as a pet. 

Slow loris are native to southeast Asia where it is illegal to capture them from the wild; owning them, and selling them, is also illegal.   Many slow loris are poached from the wild for the purpose of resale in bird and pet markets, or are shipped to other countries for sale in pet stores.  In these stores they are often listed as being "captive bred" however this is usually not the case, but nearly impossible to prove.  Even if they were captive bred, the parent animals were stolen illegally from the wild.



photo source

The real cruelty is the fact that slow loris are put at risk by having their teeth pulled, or cut, before they become part of the exotic pet trade.  If rescued from markets they cannot be returned to the wild because without teeth survival is difficult.

The slow loris has a poisonous bite.  To deal with this the poachers will cut their teeth with pliers or nail clippers, or yank them out.  Veterinarians are not involved because aiding the poachers would be illegal.  The poor little animals are given no pain killers, and nothing to fight infection.  Many slow loris stop eating as a result of the pain, or die from infection.  There is no way of knowing just how many slow loris die, but estimates suggest that many get infections which are often fatal and others die of stress or malnutrition.

photo source

Make no mistake, the slow loris, although cute, should not be part of the exotic pet trade. If you happen to see a slow loris for sale in an illegal pet market, DO NOT buy it, this only rewards the seller.  Rather you are suggested to call police or other animal welfare authorities, who will take the animal and place it in a rescue.  This hurts the seller and hopefully they will stop their involvement in the cruel trade of this beautiful animal.

Please read more about the Slow Loris .

The Exotic Pet Trade and Wildlife Trafficking

When buying an exotic pet it is very important that you buy from a reputable breeder. Unfortunately many people simply want an exotic pet and do not check where it came from. In some cases exotic pets are obtained illegally and smuggled into areas where they are offered for sale.

Buying pets that were caught in the wild is never a good idea for the following reasons:

Disease - Wild caught animals could be riddled with disease, even if they appear healthy they could be carrying a disease which could risk their health, or spread to other pets.

Parasites – It is just as likely that a wild caught animal would be full of parasites. These might not even be a problem when the animal is living naturally, but when introduced to the stress of capture and confinement the parasites can easily take over.

Stress – Stress in itself is a huge health risk to an animal. The stress of being captured is enough to kill some animals, as well it lowers their immunity, as does the stress of being confined. Stressed animals do not thrive, many die either from the stress itself, or from not being able to eat as the result of being stressed.

Removal from Natural Breeding Population – In some areas certain exotic animals are at risk, when healthy breeding animals are removed it lowers the genetic pool and the population's ability to sustain itself in a healthy manner.

Habitat Destruction – In some cases habitats are destroyed intentionally to collect certain animals. One of the most common examples of this is pouring cyanide on a coral reef. Many fish, and corals die, while only a few are knocked out and collected to be sold to pet stores.

Poorly Cared For – Animals that are caught wild for the purpose of resale are generally not properly cared for by their captor, other than with the interest of getting them to the store, or point of sale, quickly. Some animals, such as snakes, can go for a while without eating, but need to be kept warm, and this lack of care often leads to some dying before making it to the point of sale, or leaving them stressed when they are resold.

You want a healthy pet, one that came from somebody who knows what they are doing, not from somebody who captured it for profit.  Sadly many people who want exotic pets unknowingly support the cruel industry of wildlife trafficking.

Never Support Unknown Sources– Overall when you buy from anyone that is not a breeder you truly do not know the animals origins. If you buy from a pet store and the pet store bought from a broker, and the broker bought from a wildlife smuggler, you have just supported the wildlife smuggling industry.

A breeder will know more information about the real care needed for such animals, and will provide you with genuine help.

The only other way of being sure your exotic pet purchase does not support illegal wildlife smuggling is by adopting your exotic pet from a pet rescue. The rescues do not make any money, and simply want the pets to get a good home. The people they get the pets from also did not profit when they gave their pet to the shelter – so adopting a pet from an animal shelter does not contribute to illegal animal trafficking.

Further Reading

Snakes on a Bus - hundreds of illegally caught snakes, 186 endangered tortoises, 40 lizards, and an armidillo.

Guide for Buying Exotic Pets

What Color are Zebras?

Sometimes we will hear somebody ask if Zebras are black with white stripes or white with black stripes.  The trick to answering this is to look at their skin color, which we can see on their muzzle area.  The skin of the zebra is black, as such we can see that the Zebra is a black animal with white stripes. 

By American Library of Congress (http://www.dinosoria.com/mammifere/zebre_100.jpg) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Lots of horse loving girls (and boys) think owning a Zebra would be pretty cool, however these animals are not commonly kept as "pets" simply because they are hard to domesticate, or tame.  In the photo a team of four zebras is actually three zebras and a more tame - horse!

Zebras can be kept as pets in some areas, permits are required and they need to have sufficient space.  These are not pets suitable for everyone, and should only be kept by those interested in zebras as an animal - not for the sake of getting attention by having an unusual equine!


You may be interested to know that there are many different kinds of zebra each with its on unique traits.  Feel free to read some more interesting facts about these amazing animals, click here.

What to do When a Child Brings Home an Animal and Asks to Keep it

Many parents are dumbfounded what they should do when their child brings home an animal and wants to keep it.  This could occur with a stray pet, or a wild animal.  There are laws and restrictions about what you can, and cannot, do.  Knowing the right thing is very important.  Not only are you acting in the best interest of the animal, but the law, and the animals real owner too!

At the Animal Cabin we want to make sure everyone knows what is the right thing to do to help the animal as best you can.

Just because your kids have found a pet and want to keep it does not mean they can.  Even if you are okay with them having a pet there may be legal issues.  That pet had an owner, and that owner is legally entitled to get it back.

As such the first thing you should do when your children bring home a pet they have found is to check it for identification, such as a collar and tags.  You could also go back to where they found it and ask around if anyone knows who the pet belongs to.

Next, phone the local animal shelter or whomever deals with lost and found pets in the area.  This could be an SPCA, humane society, animal control, or sometimes the police or local veterinarian's office.  If you are not sure who to call your local police department will tell you.  Have them check their "Lost Pets" reports and be sure to file a "Found Pet" report.  This simple act protects you from potentially being charged with theft, unless it can be proven your children lured the pet from its yard or took it from a secured place.

You can also take the pet to the veterinarian or animal shelter and have them scan it (free) for a microchip.

Technically you have to wait to see if anyone claims the pet before you can consider it legally yours, this can be 2 or 3 weeks in some places.

Obviously if you have no intention of keeping the pet you should take it to the animal shelter so the owner can claim it.  Until it is legally yours you cannot sell it or give it away.

Never keep a pet unless you are fully prepared to care for it.

 

Read More Here so you Know what to do