Since summer 2024, the Dr. Maija Eltz Institut has sponsored the female wolf Kaya, thereby also supporting the Wolf Science Center in Ernstbrunn.
The wolf research centre was founded in 2008 by three ambitious scientists. They wanted to understand what happened in the course of domestication (the process by which wild animals become domestic animals), what changed on the way from the wild wolf to the domestic dog, and what role humans played in this process. For although humans, wolves and later dogs look back on an alliance that is thousands of years old, we are far from knowing everything about the social and cognitive abilities of these animals.
The wolf research centre was born when the first generation of wolves was raised at the Cumberland Wildpark in Grünau im Almtal. The era of the WSC began with Kaspar, Aragorn, Shima and Tayanita. A year later, people and animals moved to the Wildpark Ernstbrunn in Lower Austria. More wolf pups and the first dog puppies were raised; the wolf research centre continued to grow steadily and eventually developed into the internationally recognised institution it is today.
Since 2017, the wolf research centre has been part of the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, where it is now an independent unit (Core Facility Wolf Science Center).
At the CF-WSC, mixed-breed dogs and North American grey wolves are kept in enclosures in small groups (pure wolf or pure dog groups) under similar living conditions.
The animals are socialised with members of their own species and with humans from the time they are puppies. Early contact with their own kind enables the animals to learn social skills that are important for living together in a group. Early contact with humans (hand-rearing) is necessary to ensure a trusting relationship between the animals and their caregivers. Without early socialisation of this kind, a low-stress life in a human environment would not be possible for the wolves. The same applies to working directly with the wolves, for example as part of scientific studies.
All the animals go through a comprehensive training programme, get used to various test situations and procedures, and become familiar with the two test enclosures and the test house. The wolves and dogs are also accustomed to a lead and collar. Giving saliva and urine samples is trained as well, and faecal samples can be collected. The work is based on voluntary participation – the animals are never forced to do anything. Desired behaviour is rewarded with food.