History
Geronimo came to Wild Spirit along with his brother, Tatanka, sister, Duchess, and mother, Princess, when the Sanctuary hired a woman who owned the four animals. The owner had bred Princess and bottle-raised Duchess and Geronimo. They were very well socialized early-on and even acted as ambassadors for Wolves and Wildlife in Northern California, and the California Wolf Center. Unfortunately, their socialization was not consistent, making Geronimo a nervous-aggressive animal today. When they arrived at Wild Spirit, the two boys were taken to be neutered, and unfortunately, Tatanka never woke up from anesthesia. From that point on, Geronimo and Duchess were placed in an enclosure beside their mother, Princess, who was then alone. After the owner left Wild Spirit, the animals moved onto the tour path where they could receive more attention.
Big Pack in the Sky
Rest in Peace
April 21, 1998 - March 30, 2010
It was easy to forget that Geronimo was becoming an old man, due to his exuberance and peppy nature, and ability to hide weakness from other animals and the staff. Unfortunately, we found him one morning in incredible pain and rushed him to the vet's. The veterinarian believed it to be severe arthritis and sent him home with pain medications. He appeared to get better over the next few days, but a week later, we found him unable to use his front legs. We brought him back to the vet's where a specialty surgeon looked him over. The prognosis was not good - the surgeon believed that Geronimo might have a tumor in his neck or brain. The vet recommended that the best course of action would be to euthanize Geronimo. With his caretaker sitting next to him, and one of Geronimo's dearest friends on the phone, Geronimo peacefully passed away.
Susan K.
William S. and Jane C.
Roger and Trish V.
Sophia E.
Rod P.
Mark A.
Gary and Nancy P.
Brenda C.
Steve and Martha S.
Lawrence B.
Bill S.
Jennifer P.
BJ G.
Michelle T.
Joe and Kathy G.
Irene M.
Horst and Nancy K.
Joanne M.
Profile
Bio: Geronimo was a Timber/Arctic wolf. His sister Duchess still lives at the Sanctuary, but his brother, Tatanka, passed away several years ago. His mother, Princess, passed away in July of 2008.
Personality: Geronimo had the reputation for being a tough character at the Sanctuary ever since his owner left. After being moved onto the tour path, he seemed to have mellowed out a good bit and became more sociable. He enjoyed scratches through the fence but had a history of biting caretakers. He loved his sister dearly, but sometimes got annoyed by her constant neediness.
Likes: Catching ravens, meaty bone enrichments, and Susan Kline.
Dislikes: Intruders in his territory, other animals around his enclosure (namely cats and goats), and when a caretaker forgets to bring a "second" meal to lure him out of the sub-enclosure.
Fun Fact: When Geronimo was younger, he acted as an ambassador and met several people that he held a close bond to. By far, he was the most connected with Susan Kline, a woman who knew Geronimo when he was a pup. Although Geronimo hated it when caretakers entered his enclosure, if Susan Kline came over to visit, he would instantly revert back to puppyhood and roll over for belly rubs!
