New Partnership with Desoto Environmental Learning Lab

Shy Wolf Sanctuary forms new partnerships to benefit animals and education.

Shy Wolf Sanctuary Education and Experience Center rescues all varieties of exotic animals. While we specialize in certain species, we extend a helping hand to any that we can accommodate. Most of the time the animals become permanent residents, but there are times when we are just a stop along their way to a better life.

Recently we were able to form a partnership with Desoto Environmental Learning Lab and Outdoor Classroom. This is a facility that has been in existence many years providing a home to animals that educate school students on a daily basis. The ELL found that they had several empty enclosures and were looking to help animals in need.

One of those enclosures was a large habitat that was designed specifically for a kinkajou, complete with a heated house that automatically turns on when the temperature falls below 57 degrees. Shy Wolf Sanctuary had rescued Koopa the kinkajou and was prepared to build him a new habitat when we learned that ELL had one already fitted to his needs. We decided that transferring him to ELL would provide him a larger habitat and the comfort of a heated house for those few nights when it gets too chilly for him. Koopa has adapted well and comes out to climb around and eat for the children visiting the center. Moving Koopa also enables Shy Wolf Sanctuary to provide a permanent home to two adorable raccoons that our volunteers rescued and nursed from infancy. We’re hoping that Andy and Mikey will be great friends with Rocket, the raccoon we rescued a couple of years ago.

This partnership is enabling us to help other animals. We’ve been able to transfer a pair of prairie dogs, Faye and AJ, and Rebel, the raccoon to a new home in Desoto. The prairie dogs have moved from a small cage on our porch to a giant enclosure that allows them to dig and run around to their heart’s desire. ELL already has two raccoons, so it is our sincere hope that Rebel will meet a new friend.

Working with ELL holds promise for the future as we help to modify their coyote habitat and transition two of our most shy coyotes to a larger area with a girl coyote next door. Making that move will allow our other coyotes to have a little more room and a better life.