The Lobo Park in Antequera is an unspoilt nature and wildlife park in the heart of Andalusia; where you may look at a wolf eye to eye for the first time in your life!
The wolves in the park live in big enclosures so they have enough space to roam, play and hide when they want to. However, out of curiosity the wolves often come close to the observation points where you would go as a visitor, allowing you to see them very well. Some wolves are socialised and some have never been touched by a human hand, yet still they will all come up close because they have learnt from the pack to have confidence and that no one will bother them. No human interferes with the social development of the pack and therefore one can observe the natural behaviour in the enclosures.
You reach the enclosures by a path which leads you not only to the different enclosures but also to the individual platforms that offer you an excellent view of the wolves. In the park there are 4 breeds of wolf:
Timber (Canis lupus occidentalis) - The Timber wolves in the Lobo Park originate from the vast forests of Canada. This also explains their distinct colouring.
Alaska Tundra (Canis lupus tundrorum) - These wolves originally live in the Tundra of Alaska, where they survive extreme weather conditions from very cold winters to very hot summers. This subspecies is close to extinction and there are only a very few in the wild and in captivity.
European (Canis lupus lupus) - Still today, we find European wolves from Russia to Poland and Romania. Meanwhile, we find the European wolves also in many European countries such as in Scandinavia, Germany, along the border of Switzerland, France and Italy.
Iberian (Canis lupus signatus) - These native wolves live in Spain and Portugal and are a subspecies of the European wolf. Spain, together with Portugal, has the biggest population in Western Europe. One estimates that there app. 2000 wolves living in the wild in the North of Spain in provinces such as Asturias, Castillo y León, Cantabria, Galicia and Zamora.
The Lobo Park arranges guided tours for visitors in both English and Spanish. Visitors can obtain insights into how wolves behave in the real world. The Lobo Park is built to provide the wolves with an environment that resembles their natural habitat. This allows the wolves enough space to display their innate traits, as well as play and run around freely. The tours are designed so that this natural behaviour can be observed, and the
fear that most people have of wolves is notably reduced.
If you are looking for a very special evening out, don’t miss the regular Wolf Howl Nights on every full moon evening all year round and from May until October on weekends.
See the wolves in the evening and you’ll experience them in a different light. As the air cools down and the sun starts to set, the wolves get livelier. It is also the best time to hear them howl.
When asked how wolves communicate, most people would respond that they howl. However, they actually communicate in a variety of methods through sound, smell and body language. Wolf sounds range from the hair-raising howls that call the pack together and play a huge role in socialisation and bonding, to the rough short bark-like sound that signifies fear and is used to warn other pack members of threats or to scare away intruders. Other sounds include the whine, whimper, yelp, growl and snarl, all of which are probably heard more often than the howl, and yet it's the howl that defines the wolf and fascinates us. Definitely an unforgettable evening!
[Post sent by Jane Evans - Málaga]