Wolves At Sanctuary In Bellvue Survive High Park Fire

June 12, 2012

A photo of a wolf on Monday (credit: W.O.L.F.)

BELLVUE, Colo. (CBS4) – Seventeen wolf hybrids that weren’t able to be evacuated at the W.O.L.F. sanctuary in Bellvue have survived the High Park Fire.
The owner of the sanctuary remained there Saturday night, but by Sunday afternoon decided to evacuate. Eleven of the wolves were able to be evacuated, but seventeen had to be left on the property.
The wolves were able to hunker down in fire dens designed with concrete for the purpose of protection from a fire.
“The fire dens (underground concrete bunkers) that have been being constructed since last year as part of W.O.L.F.’s survive-in-place strategy are working,” Maggie Schafer with the W.O.L.F. sanctuary said.
On Monday afternoon a group went back up to check on the Wolves and found them okay.

“Though there is spotty fire damage to the property, the fire had not affected the enclosures,” Schafer said. “We believe this is a result of the fire road and forest thinning we have been doing around the enclosures since early 2009.”
Nobody has been able to check on wolves Tuesday.

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