Image captured by Photographer Monty Sloan
One of three, Fiona is the only female in a sibling group of triplets. We got to observe her and her two brothers interact with the caregivers during our visit to the Wolf Park in Battleground, Indiana. On the night of my birthday, my husband drove me to an unknown destination. As the night grew dark and the moon began to appear in the sky, I had no idea what I was about to experience.
Once we arrived at the Park, we waited for the gates to open. After we went inside, we visited a protected area where we met foxes native to northern Indiana. Next, we followed the tour to the fenced-in observation deck. Immediately, we met one of the wolves, Kanti, who greeted us from behind the fenced enclosure and, right away, we felt a connection to these magnificent animals.
Fiona’s Twin Brothers, Bicho and Kanti
Soon, we met the playful pack we came to see. The MC for the evening introduced the wolves, and then she gave us detailed information about each of them. She also told us about the behaviors of the family, the pack, and the population in the wild which we found is diminishing. This is why the park exists. The goal of the project is simple. The mission of the Wolf Park is to observe the wolves and educate the public. Researchers hope to increase understanding, so people will join them in their quest to save the wolves.
By the end of the night, we were shown how to howl like a wolf. As a group, we began to howl and, after a few tries, the coyotes in the distance responded. Then, after a few more tries, the wolf trio chimed in. We did this a few more times together.
My husband brought me to “Howl at the Moon” in celebration of more than my birthday. As always, we celebrate every day. Our story began years ago when my husband went to his own version of Howl at the Moon. During that visit, his brother asked him if he would ever find love again. His reply was, “There’s Only One.” On the very same night, I also dreamed of him. We hadn’t seen one another in well over 20 years. Needless to say, we did find one another. We reunited within days of these events. Celebrating my birthday with my Sweet Love in this way was a meaningful beginning of a new year and a continuation of our already beautiful love story.
In dreams and in love there are no impossibilities
Janos Arany
Visit the Wolf Park here to find out more about the amazing animals we met. Monty Sloan captured most of the photos I shared in this post. His beautiful art is on sale on line or in the souvenir shop at the park.
Leave a Reply