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    Home » Travel

    Shy Wolf Sanctuary in Naples, FL

    October 20, 2014 by Jenn 9 Comments

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    My family went to the Shy Wolf Sanctuary in Naples, Florida for a tour of the facilities. What an experience it was!

    wolf

    This post may contain affiliate links which means we receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my disclosure and privacy policy for more information.

    Shy Wolf Sanctuary in Naples Florida

    Nancy and Kent Smith have been offering sanctuary and a home to exotic, stray and injured animals since 1993. The expense of caring for these animals had been carried by them privately for many years. Michael Kloman read about Nancy and her wolves in a local paper in November 1999. It wasn't long before he was mentioning Shy Wolf Sanctuary, a name given informally by Michael, at the local dog park where he took his rescued wolfdog Nakipa.

    November 2000 brought Deanna Deppen for a visit after meeting Michael and Nakipa at the local pet store. She strongly urged Nancy and Michael to form a non-profit corporation in order to accept donations of materials, food, and to seek grants.

    With her enthusiasm and connections she was able to get both local newspapers and the television news to do a story, along with a spot on a live TV morning news show.

    Michael took advantage of two local talk radio shows to bring Shy Wolf Sanctuary from being known by word of mouth to a broader radio market, further expanding local knowledge and support of the animals.

    January 19th, 2001, is the official "birthday" of Shy Wolf Sanctuary, Education and Experience Center, Inc., (SWS) a Florida non-profit and 501(c)(3) tax exempt corporation.

    Nancy, Kent, and many dedicated volunteers over the years have built enclosures, cleaned, maintained the facility and lovingly cared for the animals…all while sharing their love and knowledge of the animals with surrounding Southwest Florida communities through outreach and educational programs!

    angeline

    During our visit, we we led through the sanctuary by volunteers and introduced to their different rescued animals. Our first introduction was to a friendly Dingo, who loved giving kisses to the kids on the tour!

    Shy Wolf Sanctuary in Naples Florida

    While there are certain areas where you can actually go into their enclosures with the tour guide and meet the animals, you can't actually wander around the facility on your own - for your safety and for the safety of the animals.

    Shy Wolf Sanctuary in Naples Florida 8

    In addition to wolves and wolfdogs, the Shy Wolf Sanctuary rescues other animals, like these tortoises, which were very friendly!

    Shy Wolf Sanctuary in Naples Florida

    Angeline had a blast meeting a few of the wolves and wolf dogs - her favorite was this friendly wolf dog hybrid who came right up to her for a nice session of petting.

    Shy Wolf Sanctuary in Naples Florida

    Chris enjoyed meeting the wolves too, like this shy wolf (it's named the SHY WOLF sanctuary for a reason, after all) who was rescued by the center as a pup.

    Shy Wolf Sanctuary in Naples Florida

    While she was too shy to come out of her enclosure to meet us, our guides did bring us into the enclosure with her and her mate (who hid behind the bushes until we left) to get to know her. Everyone in our group loved being able to walk right up to a real wolf and pet her!

    While it was nice to have this experience, our guide kept reminding us throughout the tour that we should NEVER approach a wolf in the wild, as these wolves were raised in captivity and used to human interaction.

    There were even some wolves that we could not approach at all - the guides only allowed us to get up close and personal with the animals that were friendly.

    Shy Wolf Sanctuary in Naples Florida

    For instance, the Florida Panther? She was in an enclosed area with a secondary fencing structure to keep us safe. Some of the animals in the sanctuary are WILD ANIMALS, after all.

    Shy Wolf Sanctuary in Naples Florida

    This little Bobcat was so pretty, but she was not friendly towards humans. Our guide went into the enclosure with her and played with her a bit, and I was jealous!

    I've never seen a Bobcat up close and this experience gave me an entirely new appreciation for the majestic animals!

    Shy Wolf Sanctuary in Naples Florida

    As much as I love wolves, my favorite part of the tour was with the smaller animals (prairie dogs and foxes), where I saw my first Arctic Fox!

    This adorable little furball actually had an air conditioned little house to go into when she got too hot, because as you can imagine, the balmy temperature of South Florida is NOT her natural habitat.

    Shy Wolf Sanctuary in Naples Florida

    Visit the Shy Wolf Sanctuary

    If you are in South Florida, or planning a trip anytime soon, I strongly recommend adding a stop at the Shy Wolf Sanctuary to your trip!

    You can find out more information on the Shy Wolf Sanctuary website. You can arrange a visit to the Shy Wolf Sanctuary by calling 239-455-1698  or emailing [email protected].

    Volunteer at the Shy Wolf Sanctuary

    If you would like to get in touch with the Shy Wolf Sanctuary for educational programs or speaking engagements, you can reach them at 239-455-1698 or by email  [email protected]. 

    If you are a South Florida resident, you can inquire about volunteering - it is a 100% volunteer-run organization! What a great way to make a difference in the lives of these animals and have fun while doing so! You can call 239-290-9867 or email [email protected].

    You can also help in their rescue efforts or even adopt a wolf or wolf dog from the Shy Wolf Sanctuary! Call 239-290-9867 for more information.

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    About Jenn

    Jenn, AKA "The Rebel Chick," is a 40-something Gen Xer who strives to help her readers live their best lives possible. Whether it be through sharing new recipes, sharing her dating stories, or encouraging people to embrace adventure and travel, she aims to inspire people to live full, happy and authentic lives.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Penelope

      October 20, 2014 at 11:31 am

      It would be awesome to volunteer and get to spend time with these spectacular creatures, they are so beautiful!

    2. Colleen

      October 20, 2014 at 2:40 pm

      Such beautiful animals. My daughter would enjoy visiting.

    3. Jenn

      October 20, 2014 at 5:23 pm

      I bet she would! Angeline is still talking about it, a month later! 🙂

    4. TerriAnn @ Cookies & Clogs

      October 20, 2014 at 8:29 pm

      That arctic fox is adorable! So glad that this sanctuary is able to provide shelter for animals that might not have anywhere else to go.

    5. rachel

      October 21, 2014 at 12:45 am

      Oh what fun! This looks like a great place to learn and explore! 🙂

    6. Janet W.

      October 21, 2014 at 12:18 pm

      These animals are beautiful and I'm so happy they are being well taken care of. I'd love to visit someday and see them in person!

    7. Angela

      October 23, 2014 at 4:07 pm

      I've never heard of the Shy Wolf Sanctuary before. I'd love to go there. It's not too far away.

    8. Crystal

      October 25, 2014 at 12:29 pm

      That is such a cool experience. My kids aren't quite ready (they won't even feed animals in the petting zoo), but when they are older I would love to share this experience with them.

    9. Marcie W.

      January 14, 2015 at 7:00 pm

      What a wonderful facility that I would love to visit. I have a soft spot for organizations and the people behind them that help animals.

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