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Just three hours north of Toronto way up in Central Ontario is one of the most unique and beautiful destinations in the province. Haliburton Forest is a nature lovers dream. A place for hiking, mountain biking and canoeing in the summer and cross country skiing, ice fishing and dog sledding in the winter. But it is the Haliburton Forest Wild Life and Reserve that makes it so special.

Here you will see a pack of protected grey wolves that live on 15 acres of land within the 70,000 acre reserve. Surprisingly there are two to three wild packs of wolves in Haliburton Forest along with a lone wolf or two, but you probably won’t be able to catch a glimpse of these wolves. Instead observe the pack at the centre from the safety of the observation deck. From behind a glass enclosure, you can watch the wolves go on with their day without disrupting their lives. These wolves came to be at the sanctuary as descendants of a captive pack dating back to 1977.

The wolves are from photographer Jim Wuepper. He bought and raised two wolf cubs which eventually grew into a small pack. Not being able to take care of them any longer, the pack was transferred to Haliburton Forest in 1992, where their descendants have lived on in a natural environment.

Even during the cold Canadian Winters the sanctuary is alive and well. It is a magical experience to see the wolves play and roll in the snow with their thick winter coats keeping them warm. In the summer, you have a good chance of catching the napping in the sunlight on a hill in front of the viewing platform. The building is located at a place on the reserve that achieves optimal sunlight. The wolves are drawn to here and while seeing them is not guaranteed, there is a good chance since this is their favorite spot. The wolves won’t see you as their is a glass barrier between you and them, but you will be able to hear them through speakers and they can probably sense your presence.

If you time it right, you may be treated to watching them feed. Normally they are fed beavers but sometimes they are fed a full deer. Wolves may look cute and sweet, but to see them eat as a pack is a reminder just how wild they are. No live animals are fed to the wolves that would be inhumane, all animals are dead mostly by roadkill or by local trappers. They wolves are still very vicious when they eat and it is a fight to try and steal a morsel from the Alpha male.

You will learn a great deal about the hierarchy of the pack, ask as many questions as you like. The Alpha Male runs the clan along with his chosen Alpha female. They are followed by the Beta male which is second in command and then the rest fill out the list until the poor Omega wolf. It is difficult as a human to watch the Omega. It is the weakest of the pack and it is severely bullied by the other wolves. It is the last to eat and it stays to itself while the rest of the pack sleeps and plays together.

Being true to a reserve setting. The wolf centre does not get involved. The wolves are left to live their lives as they would in the wild and it is not the humans responsibility to save the Omega. This would disrupt the pack and its entire system. Everything has a purpose, even the omega wolf. Eventually the omega will go off by itself to die, or as in some previous instances, it will be euthanized by the staff due to being too far along. And then the cycle will continue and in time, the Beta Wolf will challenge the Alpha Male and take over the group. A new omega will eventually fall to the bottom of the pack and the family will have an entire new hierarchy.

Another great thing that the Wolf Centre is working on is dispelling the myths of the Big Bad Wolf. It is a fact that wolves are more afraid of humans that we are of them. Wolves have had a very bad rap in history and they have been ruthlessly slaughtered by humans. Their numbers are slowly coming back, but people seem to be no less afraid of them. Their is actually no evidence of a healthy wolf ever killing a human and wolf attacks are very rare. Often when there is a wolf attack, it is a rabid wolf or wolf/dog hybrids. Wolves are more likely to flee when humans approach.

It is only $9.00 to visit the Wolf Centre. It is worth it to take a day or two and stay up in Central Ontario. It is a beautiful location consisting of 60 lakes and thousands of acres of forest. It is a wild country where moose and bears roam freely and you will see otters, deer, porcupine, grouse and great blue herons and many more. Stay in rustic cabins, pitch a tent or find a nearby resort. You can find something for everyone in Ontario.

Deb Corbeil and Dave Bouskill are a travel couple from Canada. They have trekked, hiked, biked and climbed to over 30 countries all over the planet. Click on their website ThePlanetd.com for more tips, advice and information on travel and adventure destinations. To see their photo gallery check out PicturethePlanet.com