DECEMBER 2016
Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center
Isha and Raksha See story on page 8
A breath-taking trek to Machu Picchu
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Fossil Craft Beer Company was very happy to drop off a donation check to the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center! The money was raised through their Evolution Ale program. Their Evolution Ale started as a basic Amber Ale and is changing over time with input from the public. Every time they brew a new generation, people have the opportunity to vote for a new ingredient to add to the beer (an old ingredient drops out each time too) as well as a local organization to receive part of the profit. Voting takes place in their tasting room located off of Hwy 24 in Colorado Springs. For their Generation 5, the community picked the Colorado Wolf And Wildlife Center to receive the donation!
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By Rhonda Van Pelt · The Pikes Peak Bulletin Anyone who climbs Pikes Peak can brag about his or her prowess. But although that’s great, it pales in comparison to the Andes. Just ask Jay Beeton and Mark Burski. Beeton, who’s lived in Manitou Springs since late 1993, and Burski, who jokes that he can see Manitou from his front porch, returned Oct. 2 from hiking to Machu Picchu. For Beeton, a retired journalist and PR person, the trip to Peru was the blossom of a seed planted in 1969, when his parents traveled to the ancient city. “I was in college at the time, and I still remember them coming home from Machu Picchu and I was just sitting there going, ‘Oh, I have to go there.’ So this has been in the back of my mind forever, and sort of at the top of my bucket list since I retired.” He and Burski, who’ve known each other since 1980 and now give Segway tours for Adventures Out West, were hiking in fall 2015 when Beeton asked if he’d be interested in the trek. Neither of their wives like to hike.
Burski, who worked at Chinook Bookshop for 30 years, researched the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and thought he probably wouldn’t go. But he mentioned the idea to his sister, Katie Geist, and she leaped at the chance. Burski reconsidered and when her husband, Don, decided to go, they had an intrepid quartet of 60-somethings. Less-hardy travelers can opt to take a train from Cusco to Machu Picchu, but not this bunch. “As soon as we decided it was yes, we started investigating guide companies and made the choices from there,” Burski said. They selected G Adventures, an award-winning travel company that was founded in 1990. It took a while to confirm a time slot, since the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is limited to 500 people per day — and more than half of that number are the porters who carry travelers’ gear on the trail and set up camps. They departed Denver on Sept. 21, bound for Houston and on to Lima before a 75-minute plane trip to Cusco, a city of CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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A breath-taking trek to Machu Picchu 465,000 people at 11,200 feet. experience,” Beeton said. “The number of people at that elevation is just astound- After a day visiting small villages surrounded by “impossiing,” Burski said. “It’s in a bowl, and the clouds are on the bly steep hillsides,” Burski said, they stayed in a small hotel tops of the mountains pretty much all day long.” and rested up for the hike, which started at the 9,000-foot Cusco, a World Heritage site since 1983, is considered the staging area on Sept. 25. capital of the Inca Empire, which flourished from the 13th The trail was grueling, with no guardrails. If you wandered century until the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. off the trail, you could dive down a sheer drop-off to certain “When the Spanish arrived, they demolished all the build- death. The Incas didn’t build switchbacks on their trails, inings and built their buildings and cathedrals on the top stead relying on stone steps. of the old foundations because those foundations were so “There are steps on the Inca Trail where you’re basicalstrong,” Burski said. ly crawling on all fours, it’s so After a day exploring the city steep,” Beeton said. You hate to paint and its surroundings in spring During the trek, they learned weather, they met their guide more about the Inca Empire populations with broad strokes, and went through orientation from Ever, whose ancestors but I don’t know if I’ve been — mostly emphasizing the need were Incan. anywhere that the people were as to hydrate. “The Incas built trails and Porters carried a duffel for each roads, all the way from Ecuagracious as they were in Cusco. person; it had to weigh a maxidor through Peru, Bolivia and mum of six kilos (a little more down into Chile and they did than 13 pounds). Add a sleeping bag and air mattress, and all this in 100 years, which is just remarkable,” Beeton said. the duffels could hold only 2.5 kilos/5.5 pounds of each hik- Along the way, porters went ahead with duffle bags, food, er’s gear, plus what they carried in their daypacks. tents, cooking utensils and food, then applauded the hikers Their guide, Ever, grew up speaking Quechua before learn- as they reached each night’s camp. ing Spanish and then English. Guides are required to have The first day, they hiked 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) and a four-year degree and another year in tour guide training. climbed to 9,840 feet. Although neither Beeton nor Burski speak Spanish, they The trekkers were grateful to change out of their sweaty were able to get by. clothes and sit down for a delicious meal of soup, a main “I joked that I was going to write a book called ‘Traveling course of trout or chicken, and rice and potatoes. One evewith Nouns,’ because I know a few Spanish nouns, a few ning, Ever baked a cake over an open fire. words here and there,” Beeton said. Afterward, they headed to their tents, hoping to rest up “You hate to paint populations with broad strokes, but I for the next day’s 11-kilometer hike. The third day was 16 don’t know if I’ve been anywhere that the people were as kilometers and the hikers crested a 13,113-foot pass to see gracious as they were in Cusco.” the Amazon jungle. Their bus arrived at the hotel at 7:30 a.m. Sept. 24, and they “You’re in the Amazon basin at 12,000 feet,” Beeton said. met their fellow hikers. Burski described them in the nar- “It’s just stunning, like nothing you’ve ever imagined. Imagrative he wrote about the trip as “young and healthy and all ine hiking at tree line on Pikes Peak and being in the jungle.” of good cheer. … All college-educated and world travelers.” After a rainy walk through the jungle, they broke for lunch. All were from the relatively low elevations of England, Ire- It was yet another five-star meal, as Burski wrote in his narland, North Carolina and Philadelphia. rative: “There was a little voice inside my head that said, ‘We’ll show “Each dish is garnished with a sculpture of an animal or you kids how to hike,’” Beeton said. bird or whatnot — condor/toucan/cucumber fountain. Later on the trail, they jokingly dared the 20-somethings to Fancy folded napkins at every meal. Where in the hell can return to Machu Picchu in 40 years and see how well they’d do. they get the time to do this? For us? What a feast in the “We couldn’t, in a million years, have asked to be with a midst of a wet jungle in the middle of the Andes.” better group than those nine people. To be separated by that This day totaled 16 kilometers, and included an Incan ruin much age and find so much in common was just a great at 11,930 feet and a steep slope called the “Gringo Killer.” | 4 | COLORADO WOLF AND WILDLIFE CENTER
A breath-taking trek to Machu Picchu On Sept. 28, they made the final push to the Sun Gate, which overlooks Machu Picchu. From Burski’s narrative: “… down below us there it lies — Machu Picchu in all its glory. Emblazoned by the direct rays of the sun going over our shoulders down the valley and into the city of ruins. Glorious. … There are not words enough in any language to describe the view that we worked so hard to see.” “There’s no way to get your arms around the immensity of the Inca Empire,” Beeton said. “I think there’s a tendency in our culture to look down our noses at Stone Age people, forgetting that their tools were amazingly sophisticated. Stone Age tools could accomplish the same things as many of the tools that were developed in the Iron Age. They just weren’t as efficient. “How do you create a shape for Machu Picchu so that, from the air, it resembles a condor? So that all of your sundials to identify the solstice are precise to the minute? How do you do that? And yet they did.” After exploring the area, taking photos and learning more from their guide, the exhausted and elated hikers took a bus to lunch in a nearby town, then made their way back to Cusco via train and bus. They had two days on their own in Cusco to visit museums and shop for souvenirs. But mostly, they wanted to sleep. They flew home the evening of Oct. 1, via Lima and Atlanta, and arrived in Denver on Oct. 2. They feel lucky to have gone when they did, since the Peruvian government is talking about closing the trail for a year to do repairs and
maintenance. Or they’ll further limit the number of people who can visit or close it completely for a longer time. “I think they’re trying to strike a delicate balance between making these amazing things accessible to people and being able to maintain them,” Beeton said. Their advice for others with a bucket list of adventures: just go, no matter your age. And they highly recommend world travel as a way to learn about ourselves and others. “We realized, I think, that people are pretty much the same worldwide. We all have the same concerns, want a good life for our children and want to be happy and healthy and peaceful,” Burski said. “It awakens your senses and you realize that people are the same, but they’re also beautifully different. And I think the more you travel, the more likely you are to respect and admire those differences,” Beeton said. Neither feels the need to return to Peru — they still have many other places to experience. Beeton’s brother has suggested a trip to Africa, and he still wants to explore New Zealand. Burski has never been to Europe and has that on his list. Wherever they go, whatever they do, they’ll relish every moment and come home with great stories to tell. COLORADO WOLF AND WILDLIFE CENTER | 5 |
MRI to further make a proper diagnosis so he could be treated accordingly. It is interesting how the universe provides. Back in the summer of 2010 and 2011, we had an intern, Carol Kruckman who was studying to become a vet and had completed a two-season internship here with us. Carol was not only an exceptional person in many ways, but a friend of Nakai. When she heard about what had happened, I received a call from Carol Kruckman who was now a DVM (doctor of veterinarian medicine), specializing in oncology at CSU. She and I coordinated a day to bring Nakai in for an MRI and since the chances were high that he may have a brain tumor given his history a plan would be put into effect for treatment. Since CSU is in Ft. Collins which is a 3 hour drive, we had to come up with an idea for transport since his appointment was at 8:30am (Dec.6th) Tuesday morning. It was not feasible to try and orally sedate him, wait 45 minutes, then give him an injection of drugs where he would need close monitoring in the dark, then load him in a crate that would be in the back of my truck with a topper, yet hard to see him until light. We called our friend Shelly at W.O.L.F in Ft. Collins and she graciously invited Rick, me, and Nakai to stay with her at her beautiful home. That was perfect as we headed up late Monday and was at the hospital on time without additional stress.
Nakai - Our little fighter and trooper I call Nakai my little miracle kid because of the rough start that he had from birth with metabolic bone disease and should have died at 7 weeks old to his current episodes with grand mal seizures. Anyone who has had the pleasure to meet Nakai will always smile when they talk about him. Due to his disease, Nakai was crippled with a terrible deformity in his right leg. As a pup he had a 90 degree break and because of him being an outside animal, he could not have the care like that of a domestic dog where the leg would be re-broken since it was growing with a bend and a pin would be inserted to straighten the bone. He would have had to wear a cone on his head and stay somewhat sedated for a few months. As he grew, his femur long bone did as well and even though it improved somewhat, he still walks with a noticeable limp, yet he runs with his tongue flopping on the side and he looks like he is smiling to greet you with a big sweet
kiss in your mouth. We have all grown to accept his handicap and view him as our special little guy for almost 8.6 years until one afternoon on October 25th when Katie noticed that he was having a serious seizure. After it progressed into cluster seizures, we crated him and rushed him down to emergency in Colorado Springs where we has visited by Dr. Macon Miles of the Veterinary Internal Medicine and his staff of wonderful professionals. He was hospitalized in ICU for two days and his diagnosis was 1. Cluster seizures-R/O brain tumor or other structural brain disease, and possible meningoencephalitis. He also developed pneumonia while he was there due to aspiration that went into his lungs. After stabilizing him, he was brought home and was started on anti-seizure drugs called Kepra. It was advised by Dr. Miles that Nakai needed to have an
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After visiting with Dr. Carol, the anesthesiologist, along with the CSU team from exotics, neurology, medical oncology and radiation, Nakai was anesthetized and wheeled to the room to get his MRI. Rick and I left to get a drink and a quick lunch while we talked about the future of Nakai. Sometimes it is hard to think positive, but Rick being the forever optimist encouraged me to think for the best. Soon after we received a call from Dr. Carol advising us that Nakai did NOT have a brain tumor! That was the best news ever, however knowing that there is still an underlining problem to have seizures and even though it is now downgraded to epilepsy, it is still a concern as a medical mystery, but we have the best of the best behind us. Nakai is being treated with his anti seizure drugs (which has been tweaked a little) until we get the right combination. So far everything has been great and we are hopeful that our little sweet guy will be with us for a few more years. I do know that I thought his last day a long time ago was 7 weeks old, then he made it thus far to almost 9 years, and if today were his last I will feel lucky to have had a friend way longer than medical science predicted. Life gives us many miracles in so many ways and I have been blessed to have experienced another. Many many thanks to all who were involved with Nakai. I am grateful, Darlene Kobobel
A BIG THANK YOU to Dr. Volz and his wonderful staff A Double Whammy! Nevada our fox who is now about 13 years old is prone to ear infections which develops into polyps that can be painful and drain. After Kwahadi’s surgery just an hour earlier and Dr. Volz and his staff were about to leave, Fish who works here at the Center, caught Nevada in a trap hoping that Dr Volz could take a look at him. Dr. Volz, Fish and myself got Nevada in our visitor center and did a minor surgery in our Wolf Den. We are happy to say that Nevada is doing well and happy that he got extra treats for being humiliated that a wire trap out foxed our fox. Stay tuned as Kekoa our wolf gets surgery on Thursday the 22nd for a reoccurring sebaceous cyst. Please do not tell him. For some reason they all seem to know. Darlene COLORADO WOLF AND WILDLIFE CENTER | 7 |
Another Christmas Story By David Friend - CWWC staff member
Not long ago, well after the sun set, I laid outside on the hard ground warmed by two very fluffy living blankets. For a while they had rested on top of or just beside me. At seven months they had grown big, tall, and heavy. I could feel the heat of their bodies entering mine. After a time they slipped off and settled a few inches away on either side of me. One curled up, the other stretched out. Both closed their eyes, let out a deep relaxing exhale, then fell asleep. Having lost my comforters the cold air seeped into my winter clothes and my body began to chill. I resisted the temptation to leave. I felt another kind of warmth. I had felt this way before.
I sleep with Raksha (rock-shaw) and Isha (ee-saw). They sleep more comfortably than I do. They are built for sleeping under the stars. In the mornings I’ve felt the frozen tips of their guard hairs as I worked my fingers into the depths of their downy fur. It’s like putting on a thick pair of mittens. I’ve seen them plop down on snow and ice as if it were a pillow top mattress. No discomfort. No shiver or squeal. Their paws don’t freeze. Their toes don’t cry out. Mine do.
I grew up inside with a wood burning stove. Occasionally Sky would wake me up long before the sun rose. She wanted to go outside. I’d bundle up and walk out with her. She preferred Christmas had arrived. My younger the front yard with no fence. I’d sit brother and I rose early, of course, on the picnic table and watch her as and ran to the tree. We expected lots she searched for that perfect spot to of gifts. There were. We’d unwrapped legos, star wars char- do...to doo doo. It could take her quite a while. Then afteracters, transformers, and tonka trucks in the past. It had ward I’d entertain myself by looking up at the stars while always been exciting, but not all that surprising. We drew she kept her nose to the ground. What would it be like to near and surveyed all the presents. Then we stopped. This have such a nose? year something was different. One of the packages was moving. I thought I heard whining. Isha and Raksha are twin boys. You might think they’re identical. They’re not. Raksha has a black nose. Isha’s is My mother didn’t like the idea of having pets. She had five pink. That’s not all that distinguishes them. Isha is whiter children to clean up after, feed, and care for. Why would she and a bit smaller. He was born white which is unusual even want another, possibly dirtier, and just as demanding little for these arctic wolves. Raksha has grown whiter over time, one in the home? She loved us. My mother knew us well. although next to his brother he looks a bit yellow. It’s interApparently, a mother’s desire changes as she recognizes her esting to hear guests interact with them. From time to time childrens’ needs. they refer to Isha as a her, yet they have a difficult time telling the two apart consciously. I think the guests are unwitShe was beautiful: snow white with a foxy look and an up- tingly noticing the subtle differences in their faces. Raksha’s turned tail. It was my oldest sister who played Santa that nose and skull is wider. Isha has narrower features. Isha is year. She delivered the amazing gift. And it was she that also the shy one. suggested we name the puppy Sky. I don’t recall looking up to see whether or not there were clouds above us or a clear Raksha, our rock star, is very outgoing and uninhibited. He’s blue. It didn’t matter. The name felt right. My mother gave the kisser, that is when he’s not preoccupied with someone in hoping we’d receive an outside dog. Sky slept with me. or something else. It took a bit of time for me to get close | 8 | COLORADO WOLF AND WILDLIFE CENTER
to Isha. When they were tiny enough to be carried in one hand Isha would try hard to avoid me. When he got his legs under him he got pretty good at it. As I watched Isha grow, he watched me. Now Isha likes to play with me. A bit of tag or keep away. Perhaps some tug of war. Our games don’t last very long before Raksha pounces in and starts rough housing with his brother. You might think that Raksha, the bigger more confidant one, always gets the better of his brother. You’d be wrong. Raksha is more demanding, but Isha is no push over. They both take turns tugging on each others scruff. They both end up on their backs. But when it comes time to settle down it’s Isha that stays with me longer. And when it comes time for me to leave it’s Isha that grabs the cuff of my jacket and hangs on. Sky was always excited to see me come home. Most dog owners know the sight. A tail that wags the butt. An open mouth and a flopping tongue. I’d take her outside and we’d play a bit. After a while we’d go back in. She’d jump on my lap and once again decide she’s not much of a lap dog. She would lay with her front feet crossed as I caught up on homework or the syndicated muppet show. As we both got older I’d take her out further from home. Although she enjoyed the new sights and the newer smells she grew ever more attached to home. Before long I was gone and she stayed with my parents. Her passing was hard on me. More so than I like to admit. Shunka (shūn-ka) was already an old wolf when I started working at the wolf center. When he first greeted you he’d cover your face with a warm and wet blanket. My first as-
signment most mornings was to take him for a walk. He loved the walks. It usually took a bit of creativity and coaxing to get him back in his pen. That task became more difficult when the pups arrived. The pups adored him. On my last walk with Shunka we visited Isha and Raksha. I was amazed at his tolerance. He’d walk slowly while two smaller white blurs danced around him and tugged on him. Both jockeyed for position to get a kiss under Shunka’s chin. Eventually the pups wore him out and we moved on. Shunka mostly walked me. I had the time this morning and it was my intention to let him go until he decided he was done. When he turned back I assumed he was. I thought he was tired and ready for a rest. I was wrong. He headed straight for the pups again. And once again that old granddaddy excited the boys and let them romp all over him. He died the next day. The staff picked up his body and placed it in the boys pen. Raksha jumped on top of him. Isha, probably because of the crowd, stayed at a distance. I too had to excuse myself. I’d felt this way before when Sky died. I needed a bit of time alone. Not long ago, well after sunset, the cold seeped into my jacket. The soft features of two young wolves laying beside me kept me grounded. When, finally, I’d had enough of the icy ground I reluctantly rose. The pups looked at me...I wish I knew exactly what they were thinking. I walked away with mixed emotions. My body was begging for a bed, my heart ached to stay.
Merry Christmas
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ADOPTION CORNER Available from TCRAS Teller County Regional Animal Shelter tcrascolorado.com · 719.686.7707 NO-KILL shelter in Divide, Colorado
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This year we have been challenged to raise $9,500 in order to receive Matching Grants of $9,500. This means TCRAS could raise $19,000 for the care of the animals with your help. If you donate online, you are eligible for REWARDS from the Give! program based on your donation amount. Rewards are listed at the top of the Give! site. You could get admission tickets, free food, hotel stay and free beer for a year. To donate online and obtain “rewards” for your donation, go to indygive.com/nonprofit/teller-county-regional-animal-shelter/ If you want to send a check and do not want the rewards, make your check payable to: IndyGive and mail to TCRAS, PO Box 904, Divide, CO 80814. Make sure to put TCRAS in the reference line and include your email on your check please. Thank you!
KEN & BARBIE. They would love a home together. Neutered/spayed, current on vaccinations. They are each about 75 lbs. They play all day long together. They are approximately 2 years old.
We have had poor Milkshake for a year. She is medium energy and cannot take heat well. She is about 5 years old. Adoption fee is $75. Best as only dog. Needs moderate exercise. She is spayed, all vacc’s. Weighs about 55 lbs.
MISS KITTY. Less than 1 year old. Very affectionate.
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We caught and sedated Kwahadi for the inspection and surgery of his paw. He had a small circular lump on his left forepaw. Due to the fact that Kwahadi had a spindle cell carcinoma removed from him last year, we thought it would be a very good idea to have this new growth checked out. Thankfully, it ended up being a benign granular growth. Dr. Volz removed what was left of the growth as Kwahadi himself removed some of it on his own, and stitched up the wound. We carried him back to his enclosure, where he was awakened from the sedation with no negative effects. He is now happy as ever!
NEWS FROM CENTER for BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY More than 4,000 wolves have been hounded, gunned down and trapped to death since the feds took away their protection in a handful of states in 2011 -hundreds since this summer alone. And now Donald Trump’s final pick for interior secretary wants to finish the job. Ryan Zinke has made the war on wolves a priority since he entered politics. He has helped draft legislation for President Trump’s first 100 days to end federal wolf protection nationwide. To help us stop this wolf-killing legislation, please make a generous donation to our Wildlife and Wild Places Defense Fund. Your donation to this fund will be matched dollar for dollar, so please give as generously as you can. To donate, go to www.biologicaldiversity.org Zinke’s legislation would mean open
season on wolves across much of America. Countless wolf families would be shattered as we plunge into the darkest days for wolves we’ve seen in more than a century. All the recovery we’ve fought for and won would be wiped away with the stroke of a pen. Zinke even once sent a holiday card featuring a caricature of himself standing over a dead wolf while holding an M16. It isn’t just imagery: We know Zinke and the Trump administration will go after wolves with both barrels, unleashing a killing spree not seen in generations. And it won’t be just wolves in the crosshairs. Trump and his allies are ready to go after any animal that gets in the way of powerful oil, gas, timber and mining industries. We won’t let that happen -- but we need you with us. The Center for Biological Diversity knows how to take down powerful
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special interests and protect the nation’s most vulnerable species. We’re the toughest, most experienced fighters around when it comes to protecting wildlife -with your gift to the Wildlife and Wild Places Defense Fund, we’ll take the battle to every venue, from the courthouse to the statehouse to the streets. With your matched donation to the Wildlife and Wild Places Defense Fund, we’ll expand the Center’s fearless staff of lawyers, scientists and organizers working around the clock for the wild. America’s wolf families are depending on us for their survival, and I’m depending on you to stand with us in this historic fight. For the wild, Kierán Suckling Executive Director Center for Biological Diversity