A walk with Flora – Northern Lights Wolf Centre
One tentative howl pierced the morning silence. Before the first notes of “Aye-ooo” were complete, a symphony of sounds that managed to be both fierce and sweet launched into the air. The reactions of the half dozen people standing near the animal habitat at Northern Lights Wildlife Wolf Centre in British Columbia’s Blaeberry Valley had mixed reactions from sheer awe to amusement.
A walk with Flora – Northern Lights Wildlife Wolf Centre, Canada
You might think you know what wolves’ howling sounds like from movies, pop culture, or your imagination, but nothing prepares you for what a concert of six wolves having their morning conversation is really like. If I were camping or hiking this might have been a fearsome sound but on this morning, I found myself wondering what these beasts were telling each other. It was a mystery to me but the wolves knew. I believe this with every fiber of my being.
The Northern Lights Wolf Centre is located near Golden, BC, a vibrant mountain town approximately 86 miles from Banff National Park. While Golden may not be as well-known as Banff, it’s a destination worth visiting in its own right. That said, the centre also makes for a scenic and easy day trip from Banff if you’d like to include it in your itinerary.
Flora
“Flora started it,” Shelley Black points her chin toward the wolf with silvery white fur in the enclosure nearest to where we stood. Her tone was indulgent, as if she were speaking of a beloved but slightly naughty child.
I was trying to get my head around the fact that in a few short minutes, Flora would be coming out of her enclosure and we’d be going on a walk together. I couldn’t decide whether or not I was excited or terrified.
A Real Life Wolf Girl
“So you’re the vampire girl,” Emily said, giving Bella a hard look. Bella stiffened. “Yes. And you’re the wolf girl?” she replied. Emily laughed. “I guess so,” her face warming up with a genuine smile.”
Excerpt from New Moon by Stephenie Meyer.
“Wolf girl” might sound like the right label for Shelley Black, but she’s far more than that—she’s the leader of the pack. The wolves at the Northern Lights Wolf Centre see her as their female alpha, a role she’s earned through trust and respect. Black founded the centre in 2002, originally to train wolves for film work, but its mission has evolved into educating the public and championing wolf conservation. Fiercely passionate and endlessly knowledgeable, she’s become one of Canada’s most dedicated voices for these sometimes misunderstood animals.
Watching Shelley and Flora together isn’t much different from watching a dog with its owner, but the relationship goes deeper than that. Flora is Shelley’s imprint, which refers to a deep bond that forms when the wolf is very young, establishing an instinctual trust between the animal and the human. Flora has been with Shelley since she was 11 days old. It’s also important to remember that, although wolves may resemble dogs, they are not domesticated animals.
Visiting Northern Lights Wolf Centre
Today, the centre operates as a four-season facility, where visitors can observe the wolves in their habitats, explore interpretive exhibits, and interact with staff. There’s a small canteen and a gift shop where you can purchase books and artisan-made items. The formal interpretive presentation takes about 25 minutes but allow about an hour to thoroughly explore, ask questions and shop.
Walking with wolves
For visitors who want to take things a step further, the Blackwolf Photography Walk is available on a limited basis. The 90-minute walks include transportation from the Centre to the trailhead where the walk begins and photo opportunities with the wolf. Although the experience is entirely wolf-led, meaning Flora goes where she chooses and any interaction with humans is entirely up to her, there is a brief staged photo opp. Guests safely sit in a designated spot and Shelley issues commands to get the wolf near you for a picture. Out of the six of us, one person got lucky enough to receive a wolf smooch, but the experience is sufficient to check the “pictures or it didn’t happen” box.
This is an opportunity to walk alongside a wolf and interact with her as she’ll allow. Our instructions were that we could pet Flora on her back if she allowed us to be in her space or got close to us. Getting a couple of pets in was pretty easy – all I had to do was stand near Shelley. She was holding the canister of Flora’s treats, which gave the wolf a strong motivation to stick close.
Here we go
There were six of us scheduled to walk with the wolves on a cool, misty morning in early October. The sun was threatening to peek out and the air on my face was brisk. We loaded up in two trucks and headed into the woods. The Centre borders an expanse of Canadian public land known as “Crown Lands.” These natural areas are open to the public for outdoor recreation, similar to Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands in the United States.
Although we weren’t far from the main road, there was a sense of stillness and openness here, with soft trails and open meadows surrounded by the majestic Canadian Rockies. As the focus was on watching Flora and not getting from point A to point B, the actual walking was at a slow pace and the terrain was easily manageable. I’d compare it to an “easy” rated flat hiking trail, although the website says participants need to be able to walk 2 km on a moderate backcountry trail.
Flora appeared comfortable with the people in our group but other than Shelley, she didn’t appear overtly interested in any of us. She gave everyone a cursory sniff when she first bounced out of the vehicle raring to go but otherwise, the morning was all about her and we were just background. Flora in motion was fascinating to watch, and the knowledge that we were within arm’s reach of a wolf was mind-blowing in the very best way.
There aren’t many adventure experiences where I come away saying, “I’d do that again tomorrow,” but I could walk every day alongside this beautiful animal in this unspoiled backcountry. It made nature’s beauty feel sacred and that’s a pretty powerful takeaway.
What to know before you go
- The centre is a cash-only operation.
- The Blackwolf Photography Tour is by reservation only – check the website for all the important details.
- Participants must be at least 16 and be able to understand English.
- Never forget that this experience is on wolf terms and that the experience can be terminated if the handler determines the safety of the wolf or human is in jeopardy.
- Dress for the weather – Northern Lights Wolf Centre is an all-season operation – in layers that can get dirty or muddy.
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