It is time to give these two stars the attention they deserve . . . Please give a warm welcome to Kiska and Zeebie! These two are no strangers to the spotlight, but we figured it would be a great time to go over these former Ambassador’s origin story.

On September 1, 2021, Wild Spirit’s Executive Director came across an online post stating that the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge Center (located in upstate New York) was looking for assistance in placing their entire collection of Ambassador Animals after being forced to shut down by the Department of Environmental Conservation. The deadline for removal of the animals was October 25, 2021.

Knowing that we could potentially assist with not only the wolfdogs, but also the foxes or coyotes, Wild Spirit reached out immediately to offer placement at our sanctuary. Weeks went by, however, and we never heard back from the facility and assumed that all of their animals must have found new homes. Unfortunately, toward the end of October – with less than a week left before the animals would be euthanized – we saw yet another online post asking for placement for the wolfdogs, and our Executive Director once again reached out to offer our aid. Thankfully, this time the facility agreed to let us assist, and our team prepared for the cross-country trip to New York to get them!

Along the way, the team was met with a number of obstacles, including a complete break down of our rescue van due to pack rats, and an injury to Kiska the day of our arrival, which required full sedation and stitching! Despite all of the challenges, however, the team was able to get both Kiska and Zeebie loaded into the rescue van following their on-site vetting, and they made the long trip back home.

Since they arrived, Kiska and Zeebie have been placed on our tour path, so they can continue to act as educational ambassadors for their species!

Kiska and Zeebie have touched so many lives during their time as Ambassadors, and many of their fans from New York still support them after their move to New Mexico. These two share such a special bond that it is hard not to fall in love with them! To Kiska, Zeebie is like a father figure that she whole-hearted respects. To Zeebie, Kiska is his wild child that he has not been able to keep up with for ages. Both have made it clear that their Ambassador days are behind them, graciously enjoying retirement at Wild Spirit. They still happily greet our tour guests who venture past their enclosure, but sometimes Kiska will express that even our Caretakers are not welcome into the enclosure on particular days. Zeebie, on the other hand, is such a docile and calm fellow that he is always willing to welcome us into his space.

 So, have you become yet another fan of Kiska and Zeebie? Perhaps you already were and stumbled upon this post to learn more about them? If so, please considering sponsoring them by clicking here!