Living with Legends

Once upon a time, wolves roamed wild through the Scottish Highlands. Their eerie howls echoed across the moors and mountains, part of the natural soundtrack of this rugged land. These majestic animals have long since disappeared from Scotland’s wild places but every day, our visitors get to watch four remarkable wolves who could have stepped straight out of a fairy tale.

The wolves currently living in Wolf Wood are a tight-knit group of brothers, aged five and six. They’ve been with us for years, and over that time, we’ve built a relationship founded on trust, respect and consistency. Forget everything Little Red Riding Hood ever told you - these animals are shy, complex, intelligent, and deeply misunderstood.

Training with a Twist

One part of working with the wolves has been implementing a recall and station training. It’s a bit like puppy training, just with more meat and a lot more patience. The team use whistles and tasty treats to encourage them to respond to specific cues. It’s not just about teaching them to come when called... though that in itself is pretty impressive. It’s about building a mutual understanding, reducing stress and giving the wolves a sense of confidence and control in their environment.

It took time. Wolves are naturally nervous around new things, whether it’s objects, people or sounds. But our keeper's consistent, gentle approach has paid off. They now know and trust them, and that makes a huge difference.

When the keepers do recall training, it’s a full team effort. There might be four or five spaced around the enclosure, each with a bucket of meat and a whistle. They take turns calling the wolves and tossing handfuls of food. Sometimes they fake a throw, just to keep them on their toes, as the wolves are so clever, always watching, always strategizing. If we didn’t keep things unpredictable, they’d just run between the nearest people until they got their prize!

When this work first started, no other zoo or wildlife park in the UK was doing recall training with wolves. Now, it’s catching on! Knowing that we’ve helped set a new standard in wolf care is something our expert keepers are really proud of.

Feeding Time Fables

If there’s one part of their reputation that’s well-earned, it’s feeding time. Watching the wolves eat, it’s crystal clear where the phrase 'wolfing it down' comes from.

We feed them big meals a few times a week, around 30 to 40 kilograms of food in total. Mostly it’s venison, but we also give them pheasant or rabbit. They’ll tear into the meat, crunch through the bones and then disappear into the woods with huge, full bellies. Sometimes they cache food, hiding chunks to come back to later. That’s exactly what they’d do in the wild!

And if you’re lucky, you might catch them howling after a big feed. It’s a sound like no other - haunting, beautiful and absolutely unforgettable. When one starts, the others join in, creating a chorus that sends shivers down your spine.

Enrichment and Understanding

On days when there’s no training or feeding, we make sure the wolves still have plenty to engage with. Think lots of scents, textures, objects to explore. Even something as simple as a deer skin can keep them busy for hours. That said, they’re cautious creatures. Introduce something new (say, a bright blue barrel) and it might sit untouched for days until one brave soul decides it’s safe.

Our work with them isn’t just about keeping them fed and healthy, it’s about keeping their minds sharp and their social bonds strong. Enrichment, training and trust all feed into that.