What big teeth you have grandma, er, Atka. The fearsome creature of legend was certainly a big attraction Thursday at The Wilton Library as Atka visited from the Wolf Conservation Center, along with Spencer Wilhelm and Maggie Howell, to teach about the Wolf. The goal, according to Wilhelm, was to discourage negative stereotypes.
"Hopefully the kids go home with a better understanding of the wolf, realizing they are not a big, bad, scary creature," Wilhelm said.
Whether they are bad or scary may be arguable, but wolves are clearly popular. Between kids, guardians, and library employees, more than 80 people filled the Brubeck room to learn to catch a glimpse of Atka. Wilhelm discussed how wolves communicate, act and of course, what they eat.
"Little girls in red hoods are not supposed to be on the menu," Wilhelm said, assuring that wolves do not want to have anything to do with humans.
To bring home this point, Wilhelm said that though Atka is comfortable around people, no one should pet him as Howell walked him around the room. If kids want to touch, he said, they should ask their parents for the wolf's closest, safer cousin, a dog.
The Wolf Conservation Center is a non-profit organization out of South Salem, N.Y., that promotes wolf conservation by teaching about the animals, their relationship with the environment and how people play an important role in their future. They currently have 33 wolves, all federally owned as a part of the Species Survival Plan.
Click here to follow Daily Voice and receive free news updates.
