Cheyenne: Part city, part wolf, part legend

  • Published
  • By Courtesy of 90th Space Wing Plans and Programs
  • 90th Space Wing Plans and Programs
F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo. --  During a crisp spring morning in 1996, Mark Johnson returned to Colorado from a trip to Arizona. 

Mark's wife, Cheryl, waited to meet the newest addition to their family. Mark placed a small four and a half week-old wolf into Cheryl's arms. 

When Cheryl offered it a bottle of milk, the wolf ripped the nipple off the bottle and began to howl. A friend said the wolf sounded like a singer from Cheyenne he had heard a few years before. 

"Well, that's it," Cheryl said. "The little gals name will be Cheyenne." 

From that day forward, the legacy of Cheyenne ... wolf, ambassador, friend and companion, was born. 

Cheyenne spent her first few years living in the small mountain town of Silver Plume, Colo. Capt. Jutta Arkan, 90th Space Wing, visited an art gallery there and noticed a juvenile wolf staring at her through a window in the gallery. 

When approached by the wolf's owner, Mark, she asked, "Is that really a wolf?" Mark smirked and asked if she wanted to meet the wolf. Within an hour, Captain Arkan was roughhousing with a 100-pound creature. 

The captain had no fear the wolf would hurt her. She was one of the first of 1,615 out of 21,000 people whom Cheyenne has accepted to her pack. To be accepted, Cheyenne must lick the person's face and rub against them. 

She knew she was accepted when Cheyenne licked her face. Cheyenne actually exposed her belly to the captain in a gesture of acceptance. 

Captain Arkan said it definitely felt special to be in the presence of such a majestic creature. A creature who has been feared and misrepresented as a blood thirsty animal. 

Wolves were hunted to near extinction in Europe, and many wolves disappeared in Colorado about 70 years ago, Captain Arkan said. According to Ed Bangs, Northern Rockies gray wolf recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, although Wyoming fares better with the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park, there is still a fear that exists about wolves. 

"To see such an animal up close and with no barriers between you and her is one thing, but to see her work is another," Captain Arkan said. 

"I have seen Cheyenne have a positive effect on children with behavioral issues and adults with emotional problems alike," Mark said. "Cheyenne has even been able to help some people overcome their fear of dogs." 

"I was a little nervous, but overjoyed that my son Jake and I were given the honor of being taken in by her," said Master Sgt. Regina Campbell, 90th Force Support Squadron. 

"The wolf has always been a source or strength and inspiration for me and after each visit I have with her, I leave refreshed and ready to take on any challenges directed my way," Captain Arkan said. 

"Although Cheyenne is now aging, her legacy of educating people continues with the births of Blessing and Spirit," the captain said. The younger wolves should uphold the ethos of the wolf and what they stand for: teaching skills, loyalty, perseverance, inner dependence and success. 

"There is never a charge to see the wolves although donations are always welcome," Mark said. "Please call ahead and make reservations to ensure you get ample one-on-one time with her." 

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