By Terry Gardner,
Chicago Tribune
Girardville, Quebec
As we entered the fenced enclosure for our wolf-contact experience, our guide’s words echoed in my head: “Dogs are at least 20 generations removed from wolves” — and these five wolves were the first generation born in captivity. Yikes!
But the moment the wolves began licking us, all I could think was: “These are the friendliest dogs I’ve ever met.”
The wolf-observation center, Parc Mahikan, has three wolf enclosures: One has 14 arctic wolves, and the second has 13 gray wolves. Those were all born in the wild. The third houses the five captive-born wolves, which guests can meet. These wolves have a bond with Gilles Granal, the rugged French expat who created Parc Mahikan to protect and demystify wolves. (“Mahikan” is Cree Indian for “wolf.”)
We initially kept our backs against the fence so the wolves didn’t accidentally knock us down with their power and exuberance. After they settled down, Granal guided us away from the fence to hang out with the wolves.
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But meeting the wolves isn’t all there is to Parc Mahikan; you also can stay the night in a cabin and wake up to the howls of the wolves. (The Ecolodges Mahikan are $151 a night.)
Wolf contact is offered year round and costs $44 for the two-hour experience. Park admission to simply see the wolves costs $11 for adults and $7 for children. The wolf-contact fee includes admission.
Granal originally founded a sled-dog excursion company called Adventuraid 20 years ago, and that remains the main winter activity. Aventuraid’s Parc Mahikan began in 2002 with a few wolves acquired from a zoo. The wolf camp developed gradually, funded by Aventuraid’s dog-sledding and canoe excursions. The Skimok adventure in which guests travel by dog sled and sleep in different camps along the route is the most popular package. Most guests stay six nights, ranging from $1,066 to $1,497.
Info: Aventuraid/Parc Mahikan: http://www.aventuraid.qc.ca (in French; use Google Translate).