Howl with the Wolves
patrowicz Middle-school art teacher Zee Soffron goes home every afternoon to his second job, helping tend the pack of gray wolves that lives in his backyard. He and his mom, Joni Soffron, run a non-profit educational facility called Wolf Hollow in Ipswich, Massachusetts.
The big, bad wolf?
Not so, says the Soffron family.
Zee, assistant director of Wolf Hollow, interacts with two of the sanctuary's full-grown wolves from behind a double layer of chainlink fencing during one of his hour-long educational presentation.
Nina, a stunning wolf with golden eyes, glances from her silvery mask. The children in the audience seem captivated, both by the enormous animals and Zee's animated presentation, complete with instructions on how to mimic a wolf's howl. As we lift our voices together, somewhat awkwardly, the wolves electrify me—lifting their muzzles and joining us with harmonious howls of their own!
Joni's late husband (and Zee's father), Paul Soffron, opened the wolf sanctuary to the public in September of 1990 based on "[his] lifelong passion for the wolf and Native American culture," says Joni.
Prior to the wolves' arrival to their home, Paul arranged for his wife and son to attend an intensive training seminar at another wolf facility in Battle Ground, Indiana. Zee, who was 13 years old at the time and the youngest trainee ever, had his first face-to-face encounters with the animals there. "I'd always grown up around large dogs so I had no fear whatsoever of going in with a different canine," says Zee.
Though his bonds with the wolves have been a source of tremendous joy to Zee all along, his teenage years at the sanctuary were challenging. "…Naturally you don't really want to have anything to do with your parents at that age, then you have the invasion of privacy as far as people coming to your house every weekend and being called names at school—it wasn't the easiest situation at that time," says Zee.
The neighbors welcomed the wolves, though. Joni, director of the sanctuary, explains that the neighbor across the street purchased his house partly so that he could be near the wolves and hear them howl occasionally. "They howl socially, just kind of randomly now and then," says Joni, and also territorially, in response to triggers such as coyotes yipping or sirens blaring, even to the beeping of a school bus when it's backing up.
While Paul Soffron has since died from Alzheimer's disease, he hoped that, "if he was able to create a place where people could come and see and learn about [wolves], then New England would be a part of the country to make a difference for the wolf in the wild," says Joni.
"The thing I would like for people to most know about wolves is their value in the wild," she continues, articulating that wolves, which are an endangered species, were once native to Massachusetts but were gradually exterminated by European settlers. This has contributed to "the overabundance that we have of coyotes, moose and deer," in the northeast, says Joni, with ramifications including the higher incidence of tick-borne Lyme disease among people in the area.
"[The wolf] is a very important animal in nature. It's critical to environment…they're absolutely no danger to people nor have they ever been. Fairy tales, cartoons [and] movies have always portrayed them as being just what they're not, so dispelling myths and fairy tales is what we work hard to do," says Joni.
All wolf pups born at the sanctuary spend time when their eyes first open living in the house with the family. During this critical time of development, someone is with them 24 hours a day so that the puppies view their human caretakers as part of their pack. This process likely mimics how domestication of the dog from the wolf began. (By the way, during Wolf Hollow presentations you're likely to learn about your canine companions, too.)
The family sharing the house includes Zee, his wife, brother and Joni, along with three pit bulls and a Pomeranian. There is also a gift shop on the first floor, stocked with wolf-related items including stuffed animals, T-shirts and magnets. Proceeds help support the organization.
Volunteer opportunities are available for high school juniors and seniors interested in wildlife, as well as adults. Volunteering has been immensely rewarding for Mal Stella, a retired teacher and probation offi cer from North Andover, who has worked for a year and a half at the sanctuary in this capacity.
The word Mal chooses to describe the wolf is depth. "You can see it in the warmth in their eyes," she says.
For her, volunteering at Wolf Hollow "is really all about the wolf: getting to know them, feeling connected to them, feeling the connection deepening with them (and they do connect very deeply), feeling trusted by them and sharing that with other people…sharing the depth of these animals [and] the depth of the connection… with other people."
The wolf's depth comes through when talking to Zee, as well, who describes them as "human…[though] I find them a lot more honest than people."
Joni describes her Wolf Hollow job as "her life."
The head wolf, Weeble, rises on his hind legs. As tall as Joni now, he tilts his muzzle to lick her face through the chain link. Unlike many doggy kisses I've been on the receiving end of, this gesture brims with dignity, a moment of mutual honoring that seems to evoke the spirit of Wolf Hollow. It's a place where people can come to know the true wolf—essential element of nature and noble ancestor of our best friend.
Sara Lenoe is a freelance writer and former zookeeper who lives in the Merrimack Valley with her fiance' and a canine companion named Shadow (plus kitty Maverick!). She's written for Wildlife Conservation, Rhode Island Monthly and New Hampshire magazines, among others.
WOLF HOLLOW
114 Essex Road
Ipswich, MA 01938
978-356-0216
wolfhollowipswich.org
Hours and prices:
Weekdays by appointment only (call for more information). Weekends at 1:30 p.m. with ticket sales beginning at 1 p.m. (which is when the gate opens. Be sure not to arrive earlier, as there is nowhere to park otherwise). Call ahead to confirm times, as they are subject to change.
Admission: $7.50 for adults, seniors and children (ages 3-17): $5.
The program is outdoors but visitors are seated on a covered bench during presentations. Private presentations, including for schools, can be arranged for groups of 20 or more.
Zee says that though all children are welcome, those five years and up will get the most out of the format. The resident wolves can be adopted (an individual wolf adoption costs $25 per year), with benefits that include a photo of the wolf, newsletters describing its activities and **free admission to the sanctuary.
Other North Shore Attractions:
Crane Beach
290 Argilla Rd
Ipswich, MA 01938
978-356-4354
A gem of a beach with smooth white sand. Call for details including directions and greenhead fly information. Bathhouse with restrooms available between Memorial Day and Labor Day, with portable toilets available the rest of the year. Fee between Memorial Day and Labor Day is $22 per car on weekends, $15 per car on weekdays. After Labor Day the fee drops to $7 per car every day. **After 3 p.m. you can get in for half price year round!
Joni Soffron suggests the following nearby restaurants:
Clam Box
(if you like fried foods)
246 High Street
Ipswich, MA
978-356-9707
No credit cards accepted.
Call ahead to verify hours.
Menu available online at ipswichma.
com/clambox/menu.htm
Woodman's of Essex
Route 133, Main Street in Essex
978-768-6057
800-649-1773
Menu available at woodmans.com
Everything on the kids' menu
is under $5.
