Where Are The Red Wolf Sculptures?
Our wolf pack is growing! We hope you will join our pack.
“Just Settling In” a stone sculpture of a red wolf mom and her cub, started us on a journey we could not have predicted. While brainstorming the best use of the sculpture to bring awareness to red wolves, the idea of making limited edition castings bubbled up.
Thank you, Chris Lasher, of the NC Zoo and Ben Prater of Defenders of Wildlife for all your input! You guys rock!
“Just Settling In” by Dale Weiler carved from alabaster
Save Our Red Wolves
And as a quick reminder, there are less than 20 American red wolves left in the wild and only 250+ in human care in zoos and other conservation organizations. The only wild ones left live in Eastern North Carolina and are on the verge of going extinct (for a second time).
You can learn more about the importance of red wolves and why they need our help on our Red Wolf page. Time is critical.
Dale & Chancellor Kelly Damphousse celebrate the installation of Just Settling In at the Bradbury Art Museum on the campus of Arkansas State University.
Bradbury Art Museum
The original sculpture of Just Settling In is on loan to the Bradbury Art Museum on the campus of Arkansas State University. Why Astate?
Not only is their mascot the red wolf, but they house all the genetic material from red wolves in both human care & from the wild.
Dale, Heather Chisholm & Ben Prater at the unveiling at
The Red Wolf Education Center
Red Wolf Education Center
The very first unveiling took place at The Red Wolf Education Center in Alligator River Wildlife Refuge where our last remaining wild red wolves live. How appropriate!
Defenders of Wildlife sponsored the piece and it now is on display in the Center. One of the highlights was meeting “Cash”, a red wolf living at the center.
Here we are with the staff of Defenders and The Wolf Conservation Center enjoying a campfire after the installation of Dale’s casting
Wolf Conservation Center
One of the best experiences of the unveiling of the casting was hearing all 50 wolves howl at once. Mind-blowing!
All the zoo keepers gather around the newly installed red wolf casting at Zoo Knoxville.
Zoo Knoxville
A third casting now resides at Zoo Knoxville right outside their red wolf habitat. We had the honor of spending time with all the red wolf keepers who are so passionate about caring for their red wolf pack.
With less than 300 red wolves left in the whole world, it is a joy to see 10 in one place. Visit if you get a chance.
A sign at The Museum of Life + Science
describing Dale’s casting “Just Settling In”.
Museum of Life + Science
Dale, Mark McKnight & Ben Prater at the unveiling at Relection Riding Nature Center & Arboretium,
Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center
Karen Babcock, Chris Gentile, Dale & Ben Prater at the unveiling at the WNC Nature Center.
WNC Nature Center
The last casting unveiled (before the pandemic hit) is at The WNC Nature Center in Asheville, NC. It is also sponsored by Defenders of Wildlife.
After the unveiling, Dale wowed the audience with a puppy dance to help their two red wolves produce their own wolf pack. Let’s all do the puppy dance!
“Just Settling In”
at Zoo at Chehaw.
The Zoo at Chehaw Park
Dale’s red wolf sculpture exhibited at
Dan Nicholas Park in North Carolina.
Dan Nicholas Park
The Dan Nicholas Park in Salisbury, NC has one of the fiberglass red wolf castings. Their display is right next to their red wolf habitat.
NEW Zoo – Adventure Park
We spend a couple of days at the NEW Zoo & Adventure Park in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They have an unveiling of Dale’s red wolf casting on Father’s Day when all dads get into the zoo free. Very cool!
Henson Robinson Zoo
Henson Robinson is a wonderful small zoo in Springfield, IL. And they have a new American red wolf breeding pair. Pepper & Red are their names and we are hoping they have a bunch of red peppers next spring!
What Happens Next?
All 35 locations where red wolf castings have been/will be installed.
Fast forward into 2021, after the pandemic, and we now have 35 castings either placed or on order for red wolf breeding facilities. Wow, in our wildest imagination we couldn’t have predicted the positive response.
And while the initial castings are made from cement and hand-painted, the latest batch is made of fiberglass which can be shipped more easily and are more durable.
The new castings are fabricated by Scenic Artistry & Custom Finishes. They are absolutely beautiful, hand-painted sculptures, making each one unique. Twenty have shipped and we have another 10 more on order.
An American red wolf pup. Photo: Rebecca Bose/Wolf Conservation Center
Help us and the red wolves! If you know of any organizations that could use a sculpture to promote red wolf education and awareness, let us know.
All we ask in return for the donation (which includes shipping) is the casting be displayed in a public place with a plaque or signage about red wolves. Join our wolf pack today and help save red wolves from disappearing from the wild.
We Are Candid Certified!
P.O. Box 128
Lynn, North Carolina, 28750
Champions for Wildlife is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization.
EIN #87-4584220