The bales were made into a shelter where the wolf could hide. The chain-link kennel looked just like a backyard dog kennel, but was built much stronger. The kennels were located well away from where we were working so there was little human disturbance. The wolves stayed in these kennels for several days while we captured other wolves. During this time, the wolves were very afraid, which is very stressful whether you are a wolf or a human.
Stress is harmful because it can make animals or people more likely to get sick.
To minimize stress, we covered every kennel with tarps so each wolf was in a dark enclosure. We visited the wolves only to give them food and water. When we had enough wolves to transport to the United States, a large U.S. Forest Service plane came to pick them up. Before the plane arrived, we anesthetized about 15 wolves, the number that could fit in the plane. Each wolf was examined to make sure it had not gotten sick while it was held in the kennels.