Luke

Arrived at Mission: Wolf on February 5, 2009
Passed away on November 13, 2011

Sex: Male
Lived with Amulet

Did you know? It takes $3,000 a year just to feed and care for one of our wolves. By giving $5 or more a month, you can take a wolf to dinner by becoming a Wolf Caretaker

Luke’s Story

Luke was born in January of 2002 and came to Mission: Wolf in early 2009 from a refuge that was closing down after several years. He was represented as a pure Alaskan, Arctic, Red-Phase Grey Wolf. Luke lived in a remote and hidden enclosure and seldom saw people. We were intrigued, and since he was close to the refuge, we went for a visit. At first sight, Luke was obviously not all wolf and as he started to bark we were worried he was not a great fit for our refuge; yet we knew that if we did not take him he would be destroyed.

Upon meeting him face to face, we realized how big he was and that he was a bit wolfy in behavior. We decided to take him in but had to sedate and kennel him for transport to our vet, Dr. Hancock, who soon discovered that he had an undescended testicle. Luke underwent a long and expensive surgery, but thankfully, his wounds healed quickly.

On a cold, snowy day in January 2009, the 134 pound Luke arrived at Mission: Wolf. He was curious about his new environment, but also very timid, and it took Luke quite a few months to adjust to living in such an open space. To make it a bit easier for him we moved him with Amulet, a two-year-old black wolf who was also very timid around humans. With this introduction and a new, more secluded enclosure further up the valley, Luke came into his own and became more relaxed around human visitors.

Luke and Amulet lived happily together and they brought out the best in each other. They are were less timid around humans and we often saw them playfully chasing each other around their enclosure. In his last few years at Mission: Wolf, Luke warmed up to many staff and visitors, often coming up for pets and the occasional kiss on the face.