If you visit Seacrest Wolf Preserve you can get up close and personal to real live wolves and be part of a real wolf pack. A visit to Seacrest Wolf Preserve is a unique experience that is sure to provide impactful memories for a lifetime visiting with these keystone species. Wolves are fascinating, beautiful animals and at Seacrest Wolf Preserve you actually can get close enough to touch some of the wolves as you are led on a tour around this facility. The first thing a visitor will notice is how large these animals are. They make most household dogs seem puny in comparison. Their mouths are so huge that they look as if they could chomp a basketball if they wanted to. The wolves also have long lanky legs and big furry feet.  They also have beautiful, thoughtful eyes. One Alpha wolf has blue eyes and has an interesting tear-shaped scar under his eye he received when fighting his brother for control of the pack. There are many interesting stories revealed by the guides as the tour commences. These wolves have different personalities, and there is drama and intrigue revealed as visitors learn about wolf pack dynamics and behaviors. The tour takes you to several large wolf habitats with different kinds of wolves. Each habitat encompasses acres of trees, hills, or water for the wolves to feel comfortable. The wolves inhabiting the preserve are Arctic, British Columbian, and Gray Wolves. The Saturday wolf tour at the Seacrest Wolf Preserve usually takes 3.5 to 4 hours to complete. A break is provided midway through the tour in between the different wolf habitats on the property. There are benches, swings, rocking chairs, and picnic tables to sit on. There is a snack shop where drinks, treats, and food can be purchased. Part of the tour consists of a priceless photo shoot where a pack of four sibling wolves will stand behind your party creating a fantastic picture highlighting the day. If you are lucky, one of the wolves may lick you in the face. Every tour includes a small animal encounter at the conclusion of the wolf tour. This small animal encounter offers a chance to pet an Arctic fox. You can even hold a skunk or a gray fox in this encounter. There is also a chance to feed raccoons by hand, which is fun. There is an opportunity to view other animals here such as a coyote on the property named Pecos.

Seacrest Wolf Preserve is located at 3449 Bonnett Pond Rd., Chipley, FL 32428. All tours are by reservation only and must be made in advance. The office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Staff is available at these times to make reservations or to answer any questions a visitor may have. The main tours usually take place every Saturday. The preserve gates open at 11:00 am. The tour begins at 1:00 pm, but visitors are encouraged to arrive no later than 12:00 pm to sign in and pay for the tour. The cost of the tour is $35.00 per person. Payment is made on the day of the tour before the tour starts. Seacrest Wolf Preserve accepts cash or credit cards. Seacrest Wolf Preserve is a 503(c)3 non-profit organization that is dedicated to the preservation of wolves. All proceeds go to help maintain the preserve, food for the wolves and other animals, and create a rich educational experience for visitors. Camping is also available to those who are participating in a tour. This is a tremendous opportunity to be out in the wilderness and hear the wolves howling at night. The cost to camp is $25.00 for a tent site with no electricity. If a tent camper wants electricity, there is a $30.00 fee per night. RV or trailer camping with electrical hook-up is available for $35.00 a night.

Seacrest Wolf Preserve has several rules and a dress code for visiting the preserve. These rules and dress code help protect the visitors and the wolves during the tour. Long pants must be worn for protective purposes. They need to be denim or khaki and provide full leg coverage. Yoga pants, leggings, and nylon tights are not allowed. A regular t-shirt or long sleeve shirt that is close to the neck is the best top to wear. Tops that leave the chest or arms unprotected are prohibited such as strapless, halter, spaghetti, low neck, or tank tops. Basic athletic shoes are the best option to wear.  Open toe, high heel, boots, crocs, or footwear made of vinyl, rubber, plastic, or leather is not allowed. In the winter, a hoodie with ties tucked in or a sweatshirt is recommended. No hats or headgear should be worn. Nothing with fur, vinyl, leather, suede, down feather or fur materials should be worn. The reason for this dress code is because the wolves are playful and will sometimes want to play with items like these, which can create a safety issue for the visitors, wolves, and volunteers. Other items that are not permitted in the wolf habitats are backpacks, water bottles, nonprescription sunglasses, prescriptions, e-cigs, cigarettes, tobacco, candy, gum, digital cameras, or phones. Only disposable cameras are allowed into the enclosures for picture taking. These can be purchased before arriving at the preserve or from the gift shop on the premises.

A visit to Seacrest Wolf Preserve is sure to delight and thrill anyone who partakes in this enriching experience. Call (850) 773-2897 today to make your reservation or go to https://seacrestwolfpreserve.org for more information.  Visit Seacrest Wolf Preserve and become part of the pack!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MICHAEL TALBOT

Student Author - Spring 2018