First I like to make clear that today’s photos are not wildlife images. These wolves are part in a pack of five arctic gray wolves, the ’ambassador wolves’ of the International Wolf Center in Ely, Minnesota. This facility has a mission statement on their website I like to point out.
The International Wolf Center advances the survival of wolf populations by teaching about wolves, their relationship to wildlands and the human role in their future.
We had a great visit there last week and learned new things about these very social animals.
We have seen and listened to the howling of wolves in Yellowstone National Park some years ago and that was very emotional for us, even if the wolves were quite a bit away from us. In Ely we had a chance to be very close to these predators, although big glass windows kept us apart from them. Can you tell these photos were all made through a glass window? As a photographer I like to mention that the staff in the wolf center did a fantastic job to keep the glass meticulously clean, so visitors can take pictures with their phones or cameras without much glare in the photo. I made quite a few pictures and tried to keep all human made elements, like fences, building walls, etc. out of the frame.
If you like to learn more about the International Wolf Center in Ely, MN, here is a link to their website: https://wolf.org/ . If you ever get up to northern Minnesota, I highly recommend a visit of this interesting, educational, and fun place.
All images: Nikon Z6II, Nikon FTZ adapter, Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm