"Never does nature say one thing and Wisdom another"

Juvenal

I just returned from a great trip to Saint Louis and wanted to share my experience at the Wild Canid Center

with you. The trip was fun and productive. My Grand Canyon presentations went extremely well, I enjoyed spending time with my friends and partners at Wapiti, Kevin and Ralph and appreciate their midwest graciousness and hospitality. We enjoyed a nice hike in beautiful Castlewood State Park where the Meramec River flows through.

The highlight of the trip was a half day spent at the Wild Canid Center. This was one of the best mornings that I have ever spent, it touched my soul. I was given a "VIP" tour by Director "Mac'

Sebald and volunteer PJ Harrison, both lovely people. I had goose bumbs when I heard howls that usually come at night. All the canids were extremely curious and I could see several of them peering at me from a distance. They demonstrated beauty, dignity and intelligence. They are all tough and hardy with keen survival skills but cannot survive guns, traps and poison.

The Wild Canid Center was founded by Marlin Perkins and wife Carol in 1971 and is the premier captive breeding center in the world. The enclosures span acres so that these truly magnificent animals do not lose their ability to hunt, socialize and raise their pups. They are reversing the trend to EXTINCTION through:

-Captive breeding for the reintroduction of wild canids into appropriate wilderness areas

-Establishment and maintenance of gene pools of selected species and subspecies

-Providing educational programs and materials for use by the public and the conservationists of tomorrow

-Contribution to data banks on captive canids throughout the world.

Canyon Tough is committed to assisting the WCC in meeting these objectives through education, support and ecotourism.

Here are some really cool pics taken at the WCC.