April 30, 2008

CHICAGO -- Just beyond the concrete zoo of Chicago, Illinois resident John Basile has built a zoo of his own. Part animal refuge -- part childhood dream come true -- Big Run Wolf Ranch is also an educational facility where wildlife abound.

“It started out with a few chickens and a goat and a horse, and we got those before we got furniture that didn't go over so well with the wife,” Basile said. “But my theory was 'we can have so much fun with the horse and we can ride them and train them and the couch is just going to sit there!”

Now, 22 years later the Lockport, Ill., animal menagerie has grown to include lynxes, skunks, a llama, a cougar and 11 wolves.

But the most imposing resident of all, is a 12-year old who weighs in at 450 pounds and stands seven feet tall.

“He’s nothing but a big, live teddy bear,” Basile said of Kuma the American black bear.

But Big Run Wolf Ranch is more than Basile’s personal petting zoo, it’s a non-profit educational facility that hosts schools and families, year-round.

Located 30 miles southwest of Chicago, Basile’s ranch drew more than 20,000 school children who he gave educational lectures to and then let them interact with the animals.

“In our May event we let the kids bottle feed the baby wolves and play with them and take pictures,” Basile said, who plans for a $300,000 expansion, which is fostering plenty of other ideas.

“One of the teachers has put together a complete curriculum, from pre-k all the way to teacher workshops, college and everything,” Basile said. “So what we plan on doing is having wildlife education, conservation classes out here.”

While Basile is working to raise funds before the school is built, the ranch has plenty of activities to keep visitors busy, including petting the cougar, holding a skunk and feeding cookies to the bear.

But for as interactive as these activities are with the wildlife, Basile has a strong safety policy.

“In 22 years, there has never been an escape here, and there has never been anybody injured,” said Basile. “We do not keep a dangerous animal on the property.”

In addition to educating the public, Basile’s personal pay-off is finally having the opportunity to learn all about the animals he loves.

“I get to just spend so much time here with the animals that I was so fascinated with, especially the wolf, to get to know these animals so well, they all have personalities,” Basile said.

For more information on Big Run Wolf Ranch Rescue, visit BigRunWolfRanch.org.

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