Farewell Socrates - Wolf Park

Wolf Park Goes to Budapest
by Monty Sloan
The Canine Science
Forum on dogs and
related canids was held
July 5-9, 2008 in
Budapest, Hungary. The
conference focused on
current behavioral
research conducted on
wild canines as well as
domesticated dogs.
Dr. Raymond Coppinger,
who conducts annual dog
behavior seminars at Wolf Park,
has often bemoaned the fact
that very little behavioral
research was being conducted
on one of the most accessible
and common animals around
us, the dog. That has started to
change. In fact one of the talks
at the conference addressed
this very issue and showed how
there has been a great increase
in papers published on dog
behavior and ethology over the
past 10 years.
The conference was opened by
keynote speakers Adám Miklósi
(with “Dogs and their people:
Love is not enough!”) and Jane
Packard (with “Man meets wolf:
ethological perspectives”).
Following the opening talks, the
days were filled with a series of
15 minute presentations on
dogs, wolves, dingos, foxes,
and then dogs again. At lunch
there were also presentations
which were less academic,
ranging from “paragility” (dog
agility training with physically
challenged handlers) and dog
dancing, to police dogs and
even a socialized wolf from the
Horatius Animal Coordination
team (horkai.com).
There were also many fun
and interesting scientific posters
at the conference. Monty
presented “Long-Term Captive
Wolf Socialization at Wolf Park”,
a poster he helped create with
fellow staff members Pat, Gale
and Holly, and which can be
downloaded from wolfpark.org.
This poster was not only
informative, but beautifully put
together by volunteer – and
professional graphic designer –
N. Beth Line. It attracted quite a
lot of attention and positive
comments from the participants
at the conference.
The days were long, but very
well organized and with mostly
short lectures, frequent coffee
breaks (and they really know
how to make great coffee over
there) and a variety of entertainment.
Many of the people were
not the typical folks who
frequent wolf conferences in the
U.S. and Monty met and made
contacts with scientists who
showed a lot of interest in what
we are doing at Wolf Park,
including the possibility for
doing research.
Thanks goes to one of our
long time members and
supporters, Dr. Nicola Osypka,
who sponsored Monty’s trip to
the conference.
To learn more about the
conference, go to their website:
http://csf2008.elte.hu/
WolfPark.org ⎢ 8 ⎢
Interns, Practicums & Volunteers
Every year, some extremely
nice people descend at Wolf
Park, offering the most valuable
of resources ~ their time.
Volunteers visit for as little as a
few hours a week to every day;
practicums spend a month; and
interns, generously donate three
months of their time. In return,
the Park provides them all with
an unparalleled opportunity for
both research and fun, as they
interact with the Park wolves,
give tours, do landscaping and
repair, exhaust the library, and
talk with the staff.
Blaze Barry is an intern from
Sewanee, Tennessee. He just
completed his junior year at the
University of Alabama,
Huntsville where he is studying
Biology. Blaze will pursue
graduate studies in Animal
Behavior. He has worked with
animals both on a farm and
private reserve. Blaze likes
playing guitar and photography.
Cynthia Fell, from Sharpsville,
Pennsylvania, was with us from
the middle of June to the middle
of July for her second
practicum. She is an 8th grade
math teacher with an interest in
wild life. Cynthia considers
returning to college to study
Wildlife Biology. She has years
of experience working with
animals on her grandparents
farm. Cindy hopes to increase
her knowledge of wolf behavior
and the care of wolves while at
Wolf Park.
Brinn Granger is from
Indianapolis. She currently
attends Hanover College in
Madison, Indiana, and intends
to apply to vet schools. Brinn
has worked in a vet clinic for 3
years and the Indianapolis Zoo
the past two summers. She is
exploring the possibility of
working in a wildlife refuge or
zoo upon graduation. Brinn
hopes her internship at Wolf
Park will help with this decision.
She likes to read and participate
in youth mission trips.
Tricia Kruse is also from
Indianapolis. She graduated in
May from Northland College in
Wisconsin with a degree in
Behavioral Psychology. Tricia
has done an internship with us
in the past and is here as a
practicum doing a howl study.
Her study compares and
correlates the animals’ behavior
before, during, and after a howl.
Tricia hopes her observations
help assist researchers in the
field with their howl studies. She
aspires to become a wildlife
researcher, specifically with
wolves.
Jacob Levy is an intern from
New York state, via Ashland,
Wisconsin. He just finished his
junior year at Northland College
where he is pursuing a degree
in Psychology with an emphasis
on Animal Behavior and
Motivational Sciences. Jacob
volunteers at his local animal
shelter training and caring for
their animals. His long term
goals are to work as an animal
rehab specialist or a handler in
a zoo. Jacob also enjoys acting.
Miranda Vogel is an intern from
Olathe, Kansas. She recently
graduated from the University of
Missouri in Kansas City with a
major in Theatre and a minor in
Geography. Miranda has
volunteered at the Cedar Cove
Wild Feline Conservatory in
Louisberg, Kansas. Miranda is
passionate about investing her
time and efforts into the care of
animals and hopes her time here
will assist her in exploring opportunities
to work with wild life.
In April, the beautifully renovated Lafayette Theater hosted Wolf Park
night at the movies. This spring they were showcasing a
different classic movie every Thursday. “Our”
movie was Hoosiers, an Indiana classic
involving basketball. Spurlocks, a local
restaurant, supplied pork tenderloin sandwiches,
another Indiana classic. The proceeds from
dinner were donated to support Wolf Park. Our
thanks go out to the good folks at Lafayette
Theater and Spurlocks for helping us and providing
Lafayette with a great way to see movies in style.