Fillmore group is a wolf's best friend as it attempts to acquaint schoolchildren with endangered species

They are feared by other animals, dreaded by many humans. Known as vicious and sometimes deadly creatures that generally run in packs, the wolf is an endangered species with plenty of groups across the country attempting to preserve it.

Add to that list, one Fillmore organization trying to show their value to local students--using wolves themselves to do so.

About three years ago, Robert Smith and five of his closest friends created Wolves-N-Wildlife with a goal of fostering healthy public discussion "grounded in fact and open to all perspectives."

Smith said the organization is a non-advocacy and nonprofit outfit, which seeks to educate young people about the wolf.

So when local schools call, Smith's crew comes prepared to answer questions and, for a firsthand look, he brings one of the nine ambassador wolves that live on his ranch.

"We are called often to do private educational functions and even parties," Smith said. "Parents and teachers no longer want clowns and simple games at birthday parties and in classrooms, they want educational things and a lot of people enjoy learning about the wolf and out other animals."

In the group's stable is a gray wolf family led by father Rambo and mother Princess. The two are parents to Geronimo, Tatonka, Sarah and Duchess born April 23, 1998. Then there are Aiya, Bear and Lily born to another set of parents in 1993.

Smith also has a 600-pound Siberian tiger and a 300-pound American black bear.

Smith said many people have worked hard to pull the wolf back from the brink of extinction. He said he has seen a shift in public attitude that has even allowed gray wolves to recolonize and extend their range in several areas, including the western Great Lakes.

Red wolfs were successfully reintroduced recently to some Southeastern states and the gray wolf reintroduction to Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho has also been successful.

"(Pro-wolf organizations) have been able to bring the wolf back," Smith said. "They still need our protection and that is our main focus."

Bill Route of the International Wolf Center, an organization that monitors the animal, said in every part of the U.S. where the animal exists, humans manage wolves to some extent.

"Setting aside natural areas for wolves is a management decision," Route said.

"What affects wolves is building roads or developing rural areas for human habitation," he said. "As citizens, we all have a stake in these decisions, from a farmer interested in protecting cattle from depredation to a vegetarian dependent on agricultural land that once sustained wild prey for wolves," Route said.

Route said opinions on wolf management are strongly polarized, deeply ingrained and highly emotional. He noted that during the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park, officials received more than 160,000 comments from throughout the country.