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Show by ELISABETH DEFFNER Photos by Robert Sorbo Visits Wolves with Oim oT 13 A wild streak of sorts runs through the town of Tenino, Wash., where 33 captive-born wolves and two coyotes have been given refuge just north of town in a safe harbor called Wolf Haven International. The refuge was formed 20 years ago by a group of volunteers who rescued 22 abandoned wolves that had been living in captivity. Their goal today is to give these and other rescued wolves a safe piece of wilderness on which to live but their days and to teach people about them. "They are in enclosures that resemble their natural habitat, says Wolf Haven spokeswoman Julie Palmquist. We try to allow them to have as wild a life as possible. Each enclosure is about half an acre. As older wolves die of natural causes, the enclosures are juried together so die remaining wolves have an even larger area to live on. While the sanctuary's 20,000 annual visitors are encouraged to learn more about these wild canines, they are not allowed to get too close. Some of the animals, the Mexican wolves, for instance (Wolf facilities Haven is one of three release-breedi- nddme wolvos Nvos in p f and lafcty amtdat Waif Havwrt for the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program), live in a logging and private portion of the offers a diversity sanctuary where the public cannot even see them. When they are released back into the wild, they will have retained their innate fear of people, explains Palmquist. When they see their first wolf, there are people who cry, says Shawndra Micheli, a five-ye- ar Wolf Haven volunteer: They just, want to get dose to the wolves. Though no petting zoo, Wolf Haven offers guided tours of the sanctuary and the opportunity to parAt ticipate in an overnight camp and a "Howl-I- n. this weekly program, one visitor begins die howling, hoping the wolves will pick up the cry (and they usually do). The nonprofit organization operates on private contributions, membership fees, and wolf adoption", donations. The concept of living with nature if not quite domesticating it is something Tenino (pronounced is used to. Take the town swimming located behind the old Tenino Stone Company pool ' office. Once a major sandstone quarry, the facility was abandoned at the end ofWorld War I. But when spring water welled up within it, front of Tonino City HaH. creating a natural swimming pool, the city and the Lions Club combined efforts to make the area more up the rocks, adding a diving board, and digging out a wading pool. "Nobody's really sure how 'deep (the quarry pool) is, says Ardith Swartz, a retired childrens librarian bom in Tenino. There have been people who dive down as far as they can fed, and its just blacky and it's freezing cold down there. Nobody's ever; as far as I know, taken the depth of it. You could ray the same for Tenino itself. The town of 1 ,447 was once a Ten-EYE-- protacdv wMdamaw mecca but today of employment, including local sandstone-quanyi- ng and stare government, retail, manufacturing, and construction. Many more work in nearby Olympia. Yet, longtime residents say it's still die same small town they grew up in. .You still meet people on die street. You still greet them. You go to church with them, and. you see them in the grocery store, says Swartz. So to me, it's still a small town. Tenino is both a town where families anchor for generations and where new housing developments are becoming commonplace, but it still offers a glimpse of elk herds and wild turkeys as well as Wolf Havens wolves. Yesterday I went down two blocks from my house, and there was a mama deer and two babies," says Swartz. 'When you get outside of Tenino, theres very little open spare, but the town itself ... I don't think it'll ever change." EluabttbDffiM-uajmlamtwitarfimOraiip- Calif. , ng Sandstone matter welcomes all In GETTi'NGjr Teriino i$ 26 miles south ; of Ot)mipta, Washington's 'Wf ':.i ; ;Y'" ;.tom . liHlllfW |