And out come the wolves. A pack of eight wolves, and wolf-dog hybrids, are proud to show off their new digs. It's the first day the public can visit the Wolf Habitat at Noah's Lost Ark Exotic Animal Sanctuary.
"It's a natural setting with trees, logs, they even dug a den underneath a tree stump so it's really neat. About three or four of them can go in there at a time," said Ellen Whitehouse, Director of Noah's Lost Ark Exotic Animal Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary spent the past few years developing the two-and-a-half acre habitat and getting the pack used to each other and their new surroundings. Like many other animals at Noah's Ark, these wolves, such as "Keyva," were once people's pets.
"Keyva was tearing up the house, digging, very hyper, needed lots of exercise, and she actually is the leader of our pack. She's running the whole show in there. Everybody listens to her," said Whitehouse.
The Wolf Habitat was made possible by donations, admission fees, and funds collected during a series of motorcycle runs, and now that it's open, it's already getting rave reviews on day one.
"You get to see them. They're pretty. You can see what they do," said 11-year-old Tristan Moffett of Leetonia.
Ellen said wolves will pace back and forth since they're not used to people being this close to them in the wild, so the habitat does come with a few disclaimers to keep the humans and animals safe.
Whitehouse said, "A child crying is a sign of distress and they can actually turn on each other, so we just ask people if their child does cry to please exit this area and come back later."
In addition to the wolves, Noah's Lost Ark is home to hundreds of different species of wild animals.
"We just love what we do here. We love giving them a second chance at life when some of them have come into us crippled, blind, and it's a very rewarding experience," said Whitehouse.
Noah's Lost Ark Animal Sanctuary is open everyday, except Monday, on Bedell Road in Berlin Center.
