Eureka's Endangered Wolf Center Helping to Make History

The release April 25 of two rare breed wolves was filmed for the “Saving a Species” series produced by SeaWorld and Busch Gardens.

Wolf Center Celebrates Its Role in Reintroducing Endangered Breed

All Mexican gray wolves in the wild today can trace their roots back to the center, which started reintroducing the breed 15 years ago.

Wolf Center Sends Swift Fox to Canada to Help Spur Comeback

The species was once threatened by extinction in the United States, and is in danger now in Canada. The center flew one of the species north of the border this week to help with breeding.

The Endangered Wolf Center in Eureka has sent a female swift fox to Canada, something of an "Eve" to the "Adams" in Alberta, to help restore the population of the rare mammals north of the border. The swift fox named Kimi boarded a United Airlines flight with animal keeper Tracy Rein on Tuesday to be left at the Cochrane Ecological Institute in Alberta, Canada, where swift foxes are considered an endangered species. Steve Parker, a spokesman for the wolf center, said the trip went without incident. Kimi rode the flight to Canada in a carry-on crate under Rein's seat. Swift foxes are the smallest North American canid, coming in smaller than some house cats at 4 to 6 pounds and 12 inches tall. The species was actually declared extinct in …

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Julie Brown Patton

11:46 am on Thursday, January 31, 2013

Yes, Cindy, this area was a really great environment for fox skulks (groups) in the past, and they still are active here, especially near the wooded areas because they like both forest edges and open fields. You also may notice one that was hit by a vehicle from time to time as further evidence of where they are living. We tend to see them in cycles, and I was told by wildlife specialists that …   more ›

Happy Mother's Day of All Types

This year's Mother's Day observation on the Eureka-Wildwood Patch is dedicated to the moms at the Endangered Wolf Center in Eureka. Which one of the following "candidates" is your favorite? Read these tear-jerking stories.

Mother's Day at the Endangered Wolf Center in Eureka is something about which to howl. Staffers at the center hosted a fun contest this week on their Facebook page that enabled friends to "vote" for one of six Mother's Day candidates: five wolves and one fox. All likes and comments counted for 10 points for each canid candidate, Facebook shares counted as 25 points and adoptions added 100 points. Following are those candidates, which were nominated to represent various types of females. INAPA, nominated in honor of all resilient women who’ve overcome hardships and for other hopeful moms to be: An endangered red wolf named Inapa has the name that in Lakota Sioux means “one who has overcome hardship.” In July of 2007, Inapa was found missing…

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Julie Brown Patton

4:47 pm on Sunday, May 13, 2012

This year’s Mom of the Year award goes to Anna, per an announcement of the Endangered Wolf Center today. Her story earned more than 184 votes. For a mother who can handle 12 pups at a time, she deserved it!   more ›

Endangered Wolf Center Reacts to Movie, Announces New Leader

Eureka's Endangered Wolf Center caught attention in St. Louis with both a plea and an announcement this weekend. The center's director of animal care said wolves view humans as predators, not prey.

This weekend's national movie launch of the fictional, suspense film The Grey sent shivers down the backs of staffers and volunteers at the Endangered Wolf Center in Eureka because they feared that once again wolves were associated with an unearned negative reputation. The movie pits stranded airplane crash survivors against a pack of wild wolves in Alaskan wilderness, according to the movie's trailer and recap. Liam Neeson's job in the movie prior to the crash is to "protect men from dangers they cannot see." The movie's gist is about the question of how hard people would fight to survive, but in this case, it's a wolf pack that emerges as the major threat to these humans. The center's staff who care for wolves and endangered species …

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'Howl-iday' Boutique Coming Saturday

An annual holiday boutique will be held Dec. 3 at the Endangered Wolf Center in Eureka from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Proceeds benefit this world renown facility that helped save wolves from extinction.

A different type of holiday boutique will be hosted Saturday at the Endangered Wolf Center in Eureka. Planned as a fun fundraiser for the animals protected at the center, it is the largest sales event the staff offers each year. Complimentary beverages and holiday cookies are available as shoppers browse the gift shop for one-of-a-kind items for animal lovers. Pamela Braasch, the center's education director, said they also will offer tours for a discounted rate of $5 per person. Tours start at 10 a.m. and will continue on the hour until 2 p.m. "Get your picture taken with 'Santa Claws' — Lobo, our mascot — and take home a lasting memory," Braasch said.  She said membership opportunities to the center make perfect Christmas gifts. …

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Endangered Wolf Center in Eureka Observes National Wolf Awareness Week

RESPOND TO POLL AT END: Wolves are striking symbols of wild nature, yet they have long been shrouded by myth and superstition. This week is a great time to focus on facts and the contributions of wolves to society.

National Wolf Awareness Week is being observed from Oct. 16-22. While these seven days of extra attention take place each year during the third week of October, every day is cause for celebrating wolves at the Endangered Wolf Center located in Eureka. On a national basis, the designated week is a time to dispel misconceptions about wolves and to teach about the important role these predators play in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Locally, there are several immediate ways that people can observe this awareness week in meaningful ways: Since the Endangered Wolf Center opened in 1971, it has been the birth place of more than 170 Mexican gray wolves. On May 1 this year, six Mexican gray wolf puppies were born at the center to the parents, …

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