History
In the Spring of 2006, Wild Spirit began looking for one or two wolf pups to come to the Sanctuary and be socialized in the hopes that they would become ambassadors. Arrangements were made, and in May, the Cougar Family made the trip up to Oregon to pick up a litter of six arctic wolf pups. A week or so after, a friend called to see if we were interested in more ambassadors. We explained that we had our hands full already, but in a few days, a staff member who decided to leave WSWS, called back saying that he would like this litter to start a new facility in Ohio. A litter of 8 timber-arctic crosses had been born in Oregon to a man who did not know what to do with them. He ended up selling three, and one buyer agreed to transport the other 5 to Arizona, where a volunteer at Wild Spirit would go pick them up. The Sanctuary had agreed to house them for the previous staff member while he made arrangements to come get the new arrivals. Unfortunately, placement fell through, and Wild Spirit ended up deciding to keep the litter including Sassy, Savannah, Forest, Dakota, and Brutus. For ease, we typically refer to the group as the "timber pups" even though their father was an Arctic wolf.
How Can I Help Forest?
It takes fifteen sponsors to provide the basic care for each of our wolves and wolf-dogs for an entire year. This does not include the cost of medication, vet visits, enclosures repairs, or enrichment treats.
Profile
Bio: Forest's mother was a Timber wolf, and his father was an Arctic wolf. He has four siblings living at the Sanctuary: Dakota, Sassy, Brutus, and Savannah.
Living Arrangements: Forest lives with two of the Arctic pups, Alice and Thunder.
Am I On the Tour Path? "Yes, and depending on my mood, I'll either run down to the fence or just sleep by the big tree near the front of the enclosure."
Personality: Forest is by far the most social of the eleven yearlings, and has proven thus far to be a fantastic ambassador. He loves to say hi to everyone and give kisses - sometimes with a little bit of teeth! He is so use to the spotlight, that he gets jealous when other animals around him get attention. He has a mischievious side, though, and will not hesitate to be naughty.
Likes: Coffee, men with beards for him to chew on, and playing with other animals (from dogs to cats to goats and of course, humans!)
Dislikes: Heights, rides in the van, and baths.
Fun Fact: After a long and strenuous process, we came up with names for all the pups...except for Forest. We kept trying new names, but nothing really fit. One day, while Angel was sitting in the courtyard babysitting the puppies that were playing in the grass, a little boy from one of the tours came up and began talking to her. After telling her all the wolf facts he knew, he asked Angel for her name. Angel replied, and asked for the boy's name. It was Forrest. He left, and the boy and his name left such an impression in Angel's head that she named the last pup Forest.
My Wishlist: "I am one of the few animals that wear a prong collar when I go out for walks. Don't worry! They're not as bad as they look, and I love my prong collar better than any other collar. Problem is, mine is getting old and slightly rusty, so I would love if someone could donate a new heavy-duty prong collar."
