WL – The Cape Cod Museum of Natural History in Brewster will host Michael LeBlanc and the Ambassador Wolf for two shows on Monday, Feb. 16, at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
LeBlanc has been educating the public about wolves since 1978. He’ll have a wolf with him!
Admission is $10 for museum members, and $12 for non-members.
I’ve got a question. What kind of wolf ambassador, or whatever this guy is, travels around with a live wolf in a cage and charges people to gawk at it? That kinda falls into the “I love my girlfriend so much I have her chained up in my basement” category doesn’t it?
What “educating” is this guy doing about wolves exactly? Teaching people the best type of lock to use so they can’t escape while you’re exploiting them for profit? Nothing like breeding a culture of respect for such a wild and majestic animal by keeping it captive in a chain link box.
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What must Mr Wolf be thinking? Wait until I get out bi- peds…..
How about we free the wolf and put Mr. Leblanc in the cage and then educate people about animal abusers?
Completely, utterly ridiculous article. I have no idea where the impression that the wolf is somehow abused or never leaves the cage comes from. I have met and worked with Mr Leblanc personally. The wolves live on many acres in the MA wilderness. When at home, they are free to run the fenced property. All the animals are heavily socialized. The wolf that attends shows is closer to a member of the household, as wolves psychologically have a difficult time with a pack member constantly coming and going. The cage is 100% for safety during the show. Would it be preferable to have him lose, to be poked and prodded by hundreds of strangers? Emotional security aside, wolves by law cannot be vaccinated for rabies, so extreme precautions must be in place during any sort of show on that factor alone. (Yes, there is an effective vaccine, LEGALLY is the key word here.)
If one wanted to have a discussion about the merits of keeping wild animals in any level of captivity, or whether it is useful to have these animals present during educational seminars (hint: the general public doesn't give a flying fuck about an educational lecture without a flashy draw of some kind) that could be done. But throwing this guy under the bus for utilizing a cage for safety during a presentation is asinine, and frankly one of many reasons why "bleeding heart" animal rights activists get the bad name they do. I've seen animal abuse. Keeping animals in a species appropriate environment with mental stimulation and proper diet and vet care is not animal abuse.
Don't bring the wolf to the seminars. Preaching about the treatment of wolves with one in a cage next to you is hypocrisy plain and simple. Would you like to be caged and brought on the road for people to gawk at you?
Since we're playing the copy and paste game…
Have you even looked at his website, or attended a seminar? Educational lectures are difficult to draw attention to, and actually having the animal present is one of the best ways to generate that interest. Once people are present, it allows them to form an emotional bond and memory of a real experience. In short, the wolves allow them to reach more people on a deeper level, which is good for wolves as a whole.
A cage is NOT an inherently cruel thing. This cage, by the way, is very large – about 200 sq ft. Not uncommon to see his wife or an assistant in the cage with the wolves. Again, THE WOLVES DO -NOT- LIVE IN THE CAGE. They actually don't even travel in it – they use standard pet travel carriers for transport. There is no "on the road." Again, these wolves live in MA. Gardener, to be specific. These are local seminars, not months long cross-country tours.
What an individual feels about being on stage is irrelevant to who is actually on stage. Some beings adore the spotlight, others shy from it. When it comes to animals, properly socialized, most don't care. "Gawking" is a human concept that has no baring on an animal's feelings. During a presentation, the wolves move around a bit, or stretch out and nap. Not things stressed, unhappy animals do.