Like most of Wolf Haven’s residents, Kuna came to us from a private owner who could no longer control his exotic “pet”.  We see this too many times.  Wolf Haven is contacted on a daily basis from wolf and wolf-dog hybrid owners who seek homes for their unmanageable animals.  Sadly, many people think that owning an exotic animal as a pet is “cool”, or that it brings them closer to the wild. These people rarely realize the needs of these animals and the potential consequences of owning one.  It is the animal who ends up suffering.

Kuna’s first owner was a woman from Oregon.  She had him as a pet, and kept him in the front yard of her home business.  When Kuna reached the age of two, she decided that she could no longer keep him, and gave him to a friend of hers. This individual kept Kuna in his back yard (in very sub-optimal conditions for a wolf) for the next four years until he too had to find another home for Kuna.  Luckily for Kuna (and for Wolf Haven!) this man found us.

A very plump Kuna came to live at Wolf Haven at Christmas time of 2003, and at first he had no companion animal in his enclosure.  Animal care took special measures to spend lots of time with him, as we feared he would become lonely. He adjusted quickly, and loved to socialize with the animal care staff.  We wanted to find him a companion as swiftly as possible because we know how vital it is to a wolf’s quality of life to have a 24-hour-a-day canine friend.  Fortunately, less than two months later, Jesse James, a younger female arrived and the two hit it off immediately. 

Kuna and Jesse shared “luxury” accommodations – a double enclosure which includes a large pond, rock piles to play on and dirt to dig in, all located off tour.  However, as time went on, we found the two began to fight, especially at feeding time, so we separated them into two parts of their double enclosure.  Although they shared a communal fence, Kuna was still lonely for a playmate.

Luckily, we were informed of three wolves in Sacramento who needed a new home in May 2005. Animal care staff made the long trek down to northern California, picked up the pack of three and decided that Badger, might be a good fit for Kuna.

After several days of licking muzzles through the fence, Badger was let out of the deck pen under the watchful eye of animal care. Kuna and Badger have been happily romping and playing ever since.  Kuna still monopolizes most of the affection from animal care staff, but the two have bonded and the active Badger keeps the big Kuna on his toes.

Kuna, with his sensitive, soulful eyes greets visitors with smiles, tail wags, and lots of happy whines, which always wins over the hearts of anyone who meets him.  He and Badger now share an enclosure off-tour in a shady and heavily foliaged area where they spend their days joyful and peaceful.

Because of your generous support we are able to take in a very sweet wolf like Kuna from a neglectful situation and bring him into our family, where he receives the highest quality care, nutrition, affection and security.  Thank you very much for all you do for our wolves!