Wolves-N-Wildlife and one of its 125-pound furry residents visit Chino Hills students.

Gasps were heard as the guest of honor made his entrance, looking sleek
and regal in his white and silver coat, his golden eyes scanning .Pal the room.

Geronimo, the 125-pound gray wolf walked calmly beside his handler, Robert Smith, as he entered the multipurpose room at Gerald Litel Elementary School, captivating the students sitting on the floor.

'He's beautiful,' one whispered. 'And big," said another. Students at the school had a visit from the big bad wolf and learned that he isn't really so bad after all.

The year-old gray wolf is touring Inland Valley schools as part of a Wolves-N-Wildlife program and the Ultra Screen Theater in Ontario.

The tour is sponsored by Wolves-N-Wildlife, an educational facility dedicated to the preservation of wildlife.

Wolves-N-Wildlife is a 120-acre ranch in Fillmore, run by five staff members including Smith. The ranch shelters nine wolves, which are on the endangered list, as well as a Siberian tiger and a black bear.

The children were not allowed to touch the wolf, only to look and ask questions.

'Does this look like the big bad wolf?' Smith asked the children,
who shook their heads no in response to the question.

'That's right,' Smith said. 'He's not. In fact, wolves do not hunt people, they're more afraid of us than we are of them. But even though he looks gentle he is still a wild animal and he could be dangerous.'
The children listened intently as Smith outlined various facts about Geronimo and wolves in general.

'Wolves are born blind, their eyes don't open until the 12th day,'
Smith said.

'Their eyes are gold by the fourth month. They act like night vision goggles, bringing in the moonlight and the starlight so the wolf can see better in the dark."

Geronimo was one of nine pups born in captivity. Both parents were rescued by Wolves-N-Wildlife. Geronimo and his siblings travel with the staff to do educational events at schools, hospitals, senior and community centers.

The students asked questions about Geronimo, learning that he eats five pounds of raw meat per day and a supplement of Nebraska, a special mixture of meat and bone that is very close to what he would eat in the wild.

'The wolf is one of the most special and misunderstood animals,' said Smith, who has been working with wolves for the past four years.