Both Cheyenne and Argo are senior wolf-dogs who have resided at the sanctuary for the majority of their adult lives. The duo has claimed home to a habitat in the upper compound with neighbors Cinder and Riot on their left and single boy, Teton, on the right. At years old, Cheyenne is one of our oldest residents at Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary, and she will be turning 17 early in June! For perspective, wolves in the wild live on average between 6 and 8-years old.
Life as a large predator that favors bulky ungulate game as food, including bison, elk, and deer, is not easy, after all. The environments some sub-species of gray wolf inhabit, too, such as the tundra, are harsh, introducing more hurdles to jump to survive. In captivity, grey wolves and the various sub-species, including Arctic and timber wolves, have been observed to live on average about years old. Nevertheless, the years have begun to wear on Cheyenne , as she slows and shows more stiffness, but she wears it well.
Crystal Castellanos, Director of Operations, has a long history as a primary caregiver for Cheyenne and Argo. Cheyenne has become very affectionate towards me in her old age. Shortly after being trained on her I believe I was trained in , I ticked her off.
She was trying to test me by taking possession of my poop bucket. She did it in a subtle wayβsticking her head inside and refusing to remove it for a good two minutes.
In order to continue my habitat cleaning, I tapped the bucket with my hoe, and she growled at me, so I waited. Cheyenne did not like this, and began to grumble, but I was getting what I neededβher head was lifting out of the bucket.
