Wolf Park Depends on Volunteers! Becoming a Wolf Park Volunteer is more than a great opportunity to learn about wolves and their place in the world -- it is a means of helping the cause of wildlife preservation and promoting the welfare of wolves in the wild and in captivity.

Volunteers are needed on Howl Nights and weekends to:

• Collect entrance money from the public and to staff the gift shop
  
• Direct traffic
  
• Give tours
  
• Help clean enclosures and aid with other maintenance which allows you to visit the wolves under supervision (not during Howl Night)

Volunteers are needed during the week to:

• Help feed and water the wolves and other animals
  
• Assist with animal care of wolves, bison, coyotes, foxes and sheep
  
• Help with ground maintenance
  
• Assist with public relations and fund raising
  
• Give tours (May through November)
• Write for WOLF! Magazine

As a New Volunteer:

The Park will provide you with an orientation and provide reading materials about the Park. This will help you become acquainted with our mission, regulations, wolves and other animals.

Other readings are available on handling, management, research, ethology and other important subjects for those interested in pursuing them. These publications will help you become familiar with our animals and their behavior, biology, ecology, and conservation.

You will also need to learn about Wolf Park membership services:

• Adopt-a-Wolf Sponsorship Program
  
• Wolf Behavior Seminars
  
• Ethology Practicum and Internship Programs
  
• School programs, etc.

All volunteers should expect to come out for a few weeks before actually going in enclosures with the animals. Gaining thorough knowledge of the animals is important before interacting with them. New weekend volunteers should expect to work at the gate collecting entrance fees and the gift shop. New volunteers will also need to listen to the lectures, and learn as much about the animals as possible.

All volunteers are expected to work at least two shifts per month, however volunteering more time is greatly appreciated. Some current volunteers only work weekends, while others come and go during the week as their other work allows them. People most interested in hands-on experiences with wolves and pups are encouraged to come out as much as possible, to watch, read and learn. As a new volunteer you may expect to spend some time watching experienced volunteers and staff handling wolves that you may not be able to meet for various reasons; noticing how these handlers conduct themselves in such situations is an invaluable learning tool.

Usually, new volunteers are only invited in with the wolves during clean-up on Saturdays, and after the Park closes on Sundays. As you become more experienced, your opportunities for "wolf time" could increase.

Unique Research Opportunity:

Research and data collection is perhaps the most rewarding experience at Wolf Park. It is a unique opportunity to observe a large captive wolf pack from close quarters and to learn about wolf social behavior.

We need trained, dedicated volunteers to help observe the wolves for both the breeding season (January through February) and the daily one-hour "wolf watches" which occur at sunrise and sunset throughout the year. We also need volunteers to help input previously collected data, assist in data analysis, conduct library research, and input references into our "Wolf Literature Reference" data base.

Becoming a Volunteer:

Wolf Park encourages anyone interested in learning more about wolves or about how a research facility is run to become a volunteer. You must be at least 18 years old to enter the wolf enclosures, but interested, younger volunteers are invited to help in other ways.

All volunteers are requested to complete an application for our records and to sign a liability release form. No prior experience in wildlife research or animal handling is necessary.

When you come out for weekend work, please wear long pants and bring a long-sleeved shirt (even in hot weather). This type of dress is for your protection, and while many staff wear t-shirts in the summer, they do so understanding that wolves will scratch bare arms. Also no earrings or braids are allowed inside the enclosures since the wolves will attempt to remove earrings ("Is that a burr? Here, I'll snatch it right out for you.") and will swing from braided hair given an opportunity.

Unless otherwise noted, all photographs © Monty Sloan/Wolf Park For permission to use or for more information about wolf photographs please write Monty Sloan

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Site managed by Tigerwolf Images used with permission of the Artist
Web page © 1997, 1998 Monty Sloan

Last revised: January 7, 1998