The night was clear, crisp and cool. A full moon hung in the sky, it's brilliant luminance overpowering the sparkle of stars that shared it's nearby area in the blackness of space. He stood proud on a hill, his eyes overlooked the valley below as the soft wind ruffled his fur.

He took a deep breath and howled, a sound which resonated throughout the valley and in the nearby woods. From a far, a deer glanced up nervously and saw the silhouette of the lone Wolf against the huge moon. The wolf howled again and announced to all that this was HIS valley and HIS world and that He was free!!

He is a Mexican Gray Wolf and the above scenario is a dream that happened years ago. Only a little over 140 Mexican Wolves are known to exist and these are only in captivity. Man has eradicated this animal from the wild and it is at the point of extinction.

Wolves are not bad -- they are predators necessary in our world to help balance nature. Some people never realize how important predators are until it is almost too late. A good example is this; medieval Europe decided cats were evil and had most of them killed. The rat population increased and the Black Plague was spread through the masses by the rodents. Once the cats were reintroduced into society, the rats were killed and the plague all but disappeared. This is what can happen when man disturbs the ecosystems.

The fear that this animal would slaughter thousands of livestock in the southwest is what led ranchers and the government funded Animal Damage Control to kill the wolves., Their methods were far from humane and they still are killing other wolves and predators at an alarming rate. But there are groups trying to help the Mexican and other wolves make a comeback in the world.

The Wild Canine Survival and Research Center, or The Wolf Sanctuary, is located just 20 miles southwest of St. Louis. It is the premier Wolf center of it's kind. It educates people on the plight of the wolves and is having much success with their captive breeding program. The Mexican Grey Wolf is their main concern, although they are working with other wolves. They are working hard to promote the preservation of the misunderstood wolves.

The Wolf Sanctuary was found by former St. Louis zoo director, Dr. Marlin Perkins and his wife, Carol in 1971. Even 27 years ago, many naturalists could see the impending doom of the wolf. The Sanctuary is a nonprofit conservation organization. The wolves that live here are kept in confinement pens that are made as much like their habitat as possible. The keepers try to touch them as little as possible to keep the animals in their wild state so that they can be returned to the wild once again. The Sanctuary was recently awarded an institute and Library Services (IMLS) General Support(GOS) grant for the first time since the sanctuary was founded. It is one of only 13 zoological parks to receive the GOS grant out of many in the competition.

The WCSRC leases 50 acres from the Tyson Research Center for a nominal fee, The whole Tyson area encompasses 2000 acres and is owned and operated by Washington University in St. Louis. The WCSRC operates separately from the university.

You can help the WCSRC save the wolves in several ways. One is to visit their facilities and see the wolves first hand. You are not allowed to pet them but just being able to see these magnificent creatures that are so close to extinction is a thrill. You can become a member of the organization. At this point there are approximately 1500 members and they can use more. The center has T - shirts you can buy and many other items. The money helps them feed and take care of the wolves. You can also participate in their Adopt- A-Wolf campaign.

Please, if you live in the St. Louis area or are planning a vacation trip through St. Louis, take a tour of the facilities and learn more about the magnificent wolves. Phone (314) 938-5900 for tours information. If you have a computer and an online service, visit them on the Internet before going to the facility. This beautiful web site will
whet your appetite to see and find out more:     

In recent years, other breeds of wolves have been released into the wild to try to renew the natural food chain. Hopefully, this will be very successful and the Mexican Wolf will once again roam free also. We need to try to rebuild the ecosystems that have almost totally been destroyed.