Wolf enthusiast opens Quebec's first sanctuary

The way Luigi Morabito plays with his four-legged creatures, some may think they're dogs.

But the pack stays behind a chain link fence for a reason.

They're wolves.

"Getting them this close is just amazing, so it's kind of cool," said Morabito.

Morabito calls himself an experienced wolf enthusiast. He spent the past five years volunteering at wildlife refuges across North America to learn as much as he could about the animals.

"As I'm studying and researching and travelling and meeting all these great people, my heart told me I've got to open something in Quebec that has 100 per cent Quebec DNA," he said.

So he uprooted his old life in Laval and opened Lupo Wolf Sanctuary in Sainte-Apolline-de-Patton, a municipality about 120 kilometres southeast of Quebec City.

There are three females and one male. Morabito says there are no other wolves south of the Saint Lawrence River, all the way to the northeast United States.

His pack comes from Ontario.

"All the wolves that we have, especially in Quebec, they all come from different zoos that have unannounced births, don't know where to keep them. Don't know what to do," said Morabito.

The roughly 70-acre property opened to the public on Boxing Day. People will be able to see the wolves at a safe distance.

"There is a what we say is a 'garde du corps.' It's a barrier that you're four feet away, but the wolves do come close," he told CTV News.

Morabito says many people have the impression it's a dangerous animal. To debunk the myth, he will be hosting educational wolf tours on site.

"We can go in depth about the wolves, the ecosystem, climate change. The benefits of the wolves," he said.

It's not all play for Morabito. He hopes to open a wolf education centre on the premises and use his years of expertise to help create a positive change for the species' future and reputation in the public eye. 

FUN FACTS ABOUT WOLVES:

• Average weight: Males: 70 to 110 pounds; Females: 60 to 80 pounds.
• Average height: Two to three feet at the shoulder.
• Average length of life: 13 years in the wild, 16 in captivity.
• Pack territory size: 40 to 240 kilometres (Minnesota); 480 to 1,600 kiolmetres (Alaska and Canada).
• Latin name: Canis lupus.
• Collective noun: pack.