A view of the wolves in southeast Michigan

One of the wolves at the Detroit Zoo.

It appears Royal Oak has as many wolves as Isle Royale does now.

My wife and I stopped in at the Detroit Zoo this afternoon, a place we've grown to love in recent years. We stopped in at feeding time near the gray wolves and wanted to share one of the few animals there at the zoo that are found natively here in Michigan.

Wolves have captured my emotions for many years, starting with my 2005 trip to Isle Royale. I still remember hearing the wolves howling in the distance during the night we spent at McCargoe Cove. I've watched with close eyes on developments surrounding Michigan's wolves, including the studies down on Isle Royale in relationship to the wolf/moose population, as well as the short-lived hunting season the state enacted several years ago.

These wolves were brought to the zoo almost 11 months ago and can be found in the very back near the kangaroos. It appears the white wolf is a eight-year-old female, and the darker-colored wolf is six-year-old male. They both share a larger, two-acre space in the zoo designed specifically for them and were brought in from a zoo in Minnesota. They are both native to Canada.

Nothing pales in seeing wildlife in its natural habitat, something I haven't completely experienced when it comes to wolves. But to just get a glimpse of their majestic walk is enough to keep my imagination moving, as was the case this afternoon. 

A collection of wolf photos taken April 17, 2016 from the Detroit Zoo.