Wolf Park Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions - General Questions

Here are some general questions we get asked a lot on the phone and during tours.

How many wolves do you have here?: Currently we have fourteen.
How big is Wolf Park?: Wolf Park covers approximately 75 acres. The main wolf enclosure is 7 acres in size if you include Turtle Lake.
What animals do you have besides wolves?: We have two foxes, two coyotes, and nine bison. In the past, we have had livestock guarding dogs, horses, goats, and sheep.
Where are the bathrooms?: We have two port-a-johns located on the end of our education building.
How old are your wolves?: Our animals' ages range from 1 to 18! Wolves in captivity live about as long as a large breed dog does (about 12-15 years). In the wild, wolves are lucky to live to 8 years old!
How fast can a wolf run?: Approximately 30-35 mph for short distances.
How much do wolves weigh?: About 65-120 pounds. Wolves living in cold northern areas generally weigh more than wolves living in warm southern areas. Male wolves are bigger (and heavier) than female wolves.
What do your wolves eat?: Road killed whitetail deer; donated freezer meat; stillborn calves from local farms; and, yes, sometimes they get the same treats your dog does! Wolves will try to eat just about anything, including cupcakes, ice cream, cheese, watermelon, and zucchini. We like to give our wolves treats, but we don't give them too many -- we don't want them to get fat.
Do you ever feed the wolves live animals?: No.
Do you reintroduce your wolves into the wild?: No. Our wolves view humans as friends, and would really scare people if we released them into the wild! Our wolves serve as ambassadors for their wild cousins, helping people to learn about and understand wolves so that we will all take better care of their relatives in the wild.
Can visitors to Wolf Park touch a wolf?: Generally, visitors do not get to just come in and meet our wolves -- although you can get within three feet of them on the other side of a fence. You have to sign up for a special program, such as our photography or behavior seminars or our wolf sponsorships, to visit personally with our animals. (You can adopt a fox or coyote too!)
Are you associated with Purdue University?: Our founder, Dr. Erich Klinghammer, used to work at Purdue, but we are not associated with or funded by Purdue University.
Do wolves swim?: Yes, about as well as dogs do. They hunt fish or waterfowl in the water sometimes. They also get in the water to cool off in the summer!
Do you ever move the wolves around to different enclosures?: Yes. Our wolves are all leash trained, and they are often walked between enclosures, so they can see (and pee on) new places and things. Sometimes, they even get to visit the gift shop (although we don't let them buy anything).
Are the wolves tame?: Yes -- more specifically, our wolves are socialized to -- raised with -- humans. Our wolves are not domesticated (a domesticated wolf is called a dog!).