Since the opening of NLWC in 2002, Shelley Black has raised 14 wolves, including the four wolves the centre is currently home to. Each wolf has played an integral role in the centre’s mission and been loved like a family member. Sadly, just like our domestic man’s best friend, our wolves don’t live forever, and so we honour the paws of the past that have helped make NLWC what it is today.
FLORA
2012 – 2026
Flora was our diva, superstar, and sweetheart. She arrived to NLWC with her brother at 11 days old, and was strongly imprinted because of that. This helped her grow into the expert of stealing hearts that she became – as much as she was imprinted to her humans, her humans were equally as imprinted to her.
For 14 years, Flora did her job as an ambassador wolf with pride. Beyond the thousands of visitors she helped educate about wolves at the centre every year, she also travelled to hundreds of schools across Alberta and BC to educate kids. On her walks, she showed her guests she was a pro at striking a pose, and made sure to find any leftover breakfast crumbs with a gentle face lick while she was at it. It goes without saying that she was a true leading lady of NLWC. She had a quirky, playful nature, but made sure to remind everyone that she was in charge – in her own graceful way, often accompanied with a howl. Her many adventures with wolf and human alike are treasures we are honoured to have been a part of.
Flora was laid to rest in September 2026. We are comforted knowing that Scrappy Dave is on the other side, ready to catch up with his sister on their many adventures since they were last together.
MACK
2011 – 2026
Mack arrived with his sister, Moki, at a few months old after the centre they were born at had been shut down. Both pups had never been imprinted on nor socialized before coming to NLWC and so as a result, they were relatively timid and shy around humans.
At 15 years old, Mack lived a good, full life with Shelley. Affectionately known as our grumpy old man, Big Mack, Mackaroni, and many other nicknames, Mack was whole-heartedly loved by the many people who cared for and supported him. Whether it was by bluffing new staff through the fence or keeping rowdy, young pups in line, Mack always made sure we knew who the big man was around here. And yet, when he did reveal glimpses of his softer side to trusted staff, at his core Mack was just a goofy guy that appreciated having a friend around – and a good deer head to munch on.
Mack crossed the rainbow bridge in April 2026 after a hard fought battle with cancer. He is missed dearly around here, but we are comforted knowing he has at last been reunited with is sister, Moki.
SCRAPPY DAVE
2012 – 2023
Scrappy Dave was the full brother to Flora, both arriving at the centre at 11 days old, making them some of the most imprinted wolves the centre’s ever had. Despite his lanky and gentle appearance, this bright blonde wolf had a lot of attitude and quite the personality. He was a fun-loving and curious wolf and loved to chase squirrels and ravens around his enclosure to play. Scrappy Dave and Flora helped to raise current wolf Honi when she arrived as a pup in 2020, with Dave taking Honi under his wing as his little sidekick and teaching her the ropes of NLWC.
Unfortunately, after a long battle with illness, Scrappy Dave passed away in Spring 2023. As a visitor favorite (with the most sponsors!), he is greatly missed by human and wolf alike. Now he runs with adoptive mother Maya and uncle Wiley.
WILEY
2002 – 2017
Wiley was the biggest wolf the centre has ever had at a whopping 108 lbs! He was adopted at about a week old from a zoo and grew to not only be large in size, but also personality. Affectionally known for his goofy “class-clown” demeanor, Wiley could never fail to put a smile on your face. He was one of the first ambassadors the centre had and his legacy will live on in the hearts he touched. To this day, his paw prints are still embedded in our gift shop flooring.
MOKI
2011 – 2017
Moki died unexpectantly at the age of 6, her shy but curious playfulness will be forever missed. Moki, and her brother, Mack, were rescued from a facility that was being shut down. Unfortunately their previous owners had chosen to not imprint them, so Moki and her brother are, and always will be, uncomfortable around humans. Although this may be the case, these two are still very comfortable here; they have a large enclosure they can hide and play in, and an elaborate den to escape to.
Moki’s name comes from the Navajo language meaning “little deer”, and although she is definitely a wolf, you can see her doe-like nature in her spirit. Her gentle ways stands alongside her timid behaviour, but Moki acts with care, unlike her rowdy brother. Both she, and Mack, look up to Moab as their fatherly figure.
We hope that her passing has not been in vein. We must remember her message of conservation and preservation so that we can protect all of her wild cousins.
KEEHTA
2004 – 2017
Keehta was our silent, but mighty, wolfdog who was rescued in 2005. Unfortunately, Keehta was bounced between six different homes in her first year of life, which is a sad, but common, situation for many wolf dogs, as people think that they make great pets. At her arrival, Keehta was wary of her new pack but she quickly adjusted and eventually had no trouble “wolfing down” her food. Even though Keehta was quite shy, she was also picky about her company, and didn’t get along with many of our wolves at the time. But Moab found a way to steal her heart, and the two got along very well, as he let her be the boss in their relationship. Her shy behaviour made her incredibly hard to photograph, and because of her picky nature, she only ever went on hikes with Shelley and Moab.
Although Keehta was kept here at the centre, she was not a pet; she was a part of our pack. Wolfdogs do not make for good pets, and our official opinion of them is: don’t do it. These wolf-dog crosses make unsuitable pets, and we don’t endorse their breeding or their sale as domestic animals. By crossing a domestic dog with a wild animal (and one with especially strong predatory instincts and sense of social hierarchy at that), the resulting mix of traits is unpredictable, and often tragic for the animal and owners themselves. Approximately 80% of wolf-dog crosses are euthanized in their first few years of life. Thus, we were extremely happy to give Keehta a loving home and family until her passing in 2017.
MOAB
2004 – 2017
Moab was the silliest wolf in our pack; he even had a funny snaggle tooth that sat out of the side of his mouth, giving him a quite goofy appearance. He could have a bit of an attitude at times, but was definitely a “Mama’s Boy”. He loved his girls, Keehta and Shelley, and adored the staff who visit him through the fence.
Moab was laid to rest on August 7, 2017. His last moments were spent surrounded by the Blacks, in Shelley’s arms. Moab is now in the Mountains with Aspen, Tuk and Maya
MAYA
1999 – 2016
In 2016, we lost our beloved mothering wolf, Maya. For 17 years she was our brilliant force of learning and creativity. She taught us how important conserving our wildlife and nature. Today her message rings truer than ever. In every action that we take we must consider the consequences and we must be reminded to only take what is needed. Maya spent her last few days in the house here at the wolf centre with her family, Shelley and Casey Black. We will miss our Maya dearly but we know that she is running in greener pastures with her brother Tuk.
ASPEN
1998 – 2015
Aspen was our first wolf dog cross, 75% grey wolf and 25% husky, and acted as the very first ambassador wolf for our pack. She was the loving big sister, and enjoyed being in the company of others, as she travelled to many schools and helped us educate young children about wolves in the wild. Even in her old age, she was a big tease, and played lots with Wiley to keep him in line. Everyone, including the wolves at the centre, misses her very much, and her loving presence will always stay with us in our hearts.
Although we kept Aspen here at the centre, she was not a pet; she was a part of our pack. Wolf dogs do not make for good pets, and our official opinion of them is: don’t do it. These wolf-dog crosses make unsuitable pets, and we don’t endorse their breeding or their sale as domestic animals. By crossing a domestic dog with a wild animal (one with especially strong predatory instincts and sense of social hierarchy), the resulting mix of traits is unpredictable, and often tragic for the animal and owners themselves. Approximately 80% of wolf-dog crosses are euthanized in their first few years of life.
TUK
1999 – 2011
Tuk was known for being noble, showing younger wolves the ropes and keeping everyone in line. Though he had a tough exterior, he was truly a bit of a chicken on the inside. He had many wild instincts, often going for many side quests while out on adventure hikes.