After the long ride to Mission: Wolf, a wolf sanctuary in southern Colorado, they were rewarded with a thorough tour of the premises. They got to meet each wolf and hear their stories, as well as learn about all of the creative, sustainable structures that make up the sanctuary. On the second day, they jumped right in with a vivid anatomy lesson, as they tackled the task of butchering a full-grown draft horse. With almost all of the students pitching in and working together, they were able to butcher the entire animal in only two hours, and learn how much work goes into feeding thirty wolves. Before they fed the wolves, they were able to go inside the wolf pens and actually meet the “ambassador wolves”. These five wolves have grown up near humans, and curiously sniffed, licked, and played with the students. Petting a wolf, looking in to its eyes, and letting it lick your teeth is a truly remarkable experience, which the students will surely never forget. After that, the students got to feed the wolves, and witness the awe-inspiring capacity of a wolf to devour sixty pounds of meat in less than two minutes.

Read more about Colorado Academy's work for Mission: Wolf.