TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — If you’ve visited the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, you most likely have seen the wolf exhibit.
It’s an open space where you can see the wolves from a distance, but big changes are coming where you'll be able to get up close and personal with the endangered wolves.
The museum is creating a larger wolf exhibit that will be located next to the restaurant and gift shop called the Wooden Memorial Mexican Gray Wolf Exhibit.
Hollie Colahan, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Executive Director says it'll be about 25,000 square feet, which is ten times the size of the current exhibit, with a lot of great improvements for the wolves.
Colahan says the current exhibit has been around for several years and was a common design at the time allowing people to stand above and stare down at the wolves — but is no longer ideal for their well-being.
“So this new exhibit, people are going to walk through a path, go through a short tunnel and come out in the center of the exhibit and it’s sort of like a donut shape. You’ll come out in the middle and there will actually be wolves all around you. If the wolves wanna get higher than the people they can," Colahan said. "If the wolves want to go into the shade or get some water or come up and see the people, they'll have a lot more choices and a lot more options where they wanna go."
If you ever wanted to get nose-to-nose with a wolf, this will be the perfect opportunity.
The tunnel will be surrounded with glass so you can get a clear view of the three sister wolves, Luna, Sol, and Estrella.
Other parts of the exhibit will viewed through stainless steel wire mesh.
Colahan said there's also plans for a bird exhibit and a reptile exhibit as part of that complex.
Anna Klein, a visitor from California, says it’s a great idea.
“I think it’ll attract a lot of viewers for the museum," Klein said. "As well to be able to be so close to the animals and also be supporting the local wildlife.”
Winnie Hyde, visitor of the museum says her family came from out of town to visit and was pleased with the experience.
“Brings it more to ya when you see the actual animals. I hope it’s a successful program and it sounds like it’s gonna be great down here," Hyde said.
It was Savannah Hyde's first time visiting the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and she said the wolves are pretty awesome.
“I saw them earlier looking. This one found a hole and he was digging through it looking for food and then his buddy came running over and it was really cool," Savannah said.
As part of the project, plant regrading is required.
"So our botany team will actually temporarily relocate a lot of these plants. We'll keep them in a safe place, put them somewhere else in the museum, and then once we're done moving all the dirt around and start putting the fence up — we'll bring the plants back into the area to kind of restore this natural desert look," Colahan added.
The Mexican Gray Wolf exhibit is currently in the design and fundraising stage.
"We're hoping we'll finish up design right around the first of the year and then go into construction. Probably looking close to two years of construction and then we'll be ready to open," Colahan said.
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum still needs to raise $1.5 million from the community to reach their goal of $5 million.
To learn more about the Mexican Gray Wolf exhibit and how you can help, visit the website.
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Vanessa Gongora is KGUN 9's Westside reporter.. Vanessa fell in love with storytelling by growing up in sports. She was fascinated by how sports reporters go beyond the x's & o's to tell players' stories, and how sports bring people together, inspiring Vanessa to provide the same impact as a journalist. Share your story ideas and important issues with Vanessa by emailing vanessa.gongora@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
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