‘Little Howls’ to visit area museum
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| Wolf pups will make a stopover appearance this week in Sycamore on their way to their new home in Tennessee. One of the five babies is shown in this photo from Big Run Wolf Ranch in Lockport, where they were born. (Provided photo.) |
A litter of five “little howls,” born at Big Run Wolf Ranch in Lockport are destined to become the stars of a new exhibit at the Memphis Zoo later this month.
Although many of the animals at Big Run have been rescued, the primary objective of the federally licensed nonprofit, which specializes in North American wildlife, is education. Residents at the ranch include British Columbian timber wolves, North American grey timber wolves, and two rare arctic wolves, along with a 7-foot tall black bear, a mountain lion and a purebred mid-western coyote named Mahala, who will accompany the wolf pups and a couple of smaller North American mammals on the visit to the museum.
Mahala is an ambassador for changing the attitude of the public towards animals considered to be varmints, such as coyotes, which are important to the ecological balance of the region in controlling pests, like rabbits and rodents.
Museum admission of $5 for adults and $4 for children applies to the Little Howls program; museum members receive a 10 percent discount. Free parking is available in the city lot next across from the museum.
If you go
What: Little Howls program
When: 3:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Midwest Museum of Natural History, 425 W. State St. in Sycamore
Contact: Chris Brodnicki or Marcia Wilson at 815-895-9777
Online: www.mmnh.org or www.bigrunwolfranch.org