Wolves enjoy Halloween by eating jack-o-lanterns

BATTLE GROUND, Ind. (WLFI) - The wolves at Wolf Park are celebrating Halloween a little early.

"Well they're getting carved jack-o-lanterns stuffed full of treats," head animal curator Pat Goodmann said. "We call it the pumpkin party and the wolf's Howl Night is Howl-o-ween."

These aren't just any jack-o-lanterns. Goodmann said these pumpkins are filled with yummy treats only a wolf would like.

"Vienna sausages, Slim Jims, I think I saw some hamburger buns in there and of course everyone's favorite: Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam," Goodmann said.

Goodmann said while it's a fun way to interact with the wolves and have some Halloween fun it also provides environmental enrichment.

"You need to do things for them so that every day is not like every other day in captivity and ideally they should have a habitat that allows them to do as much as their natural behavior as possible even though they are in captivity," Goodmann said.

At Wolf Park the main pack has seven acres to roam and hunt small prey, but Goodman said the wolves still like special treats every once in awhile.

"Getting them [treats] in carved jack-o-lanterns is fun for the humans and it's fun for the wolves because they get to figure out how to get into the jack-o-lanterns and get the treats out," Goodmann said.

A day humans and wolves can have a howling good time.