Cumbrian wolf experience gets runner up in business awards
Predator Experience, run by Dee and Daniel Ashman, has been in business since 2009.
The business offers wolf experiences where people book to walk with wolves at their facility at Predator Park in Ayside.
Predator Park is the national resource and experience centre for the conservation awareness of natural predators.
Dee Ashman collected the runner up prize for the Micro Business Award (Image: Predator Experience)
Mr and Mrs Ashman both have a wealth of experience with animals and nature and seek to educate people about the role of apex predators in eco structures and how to co-exist with wildlife.
The pair were extremely proud that their small business received recognition in the Micro Business Award for the North West category.
Mrs Ashman said: "It's a big deal for us, it's the first really big award that we've really gone in for as a company.
The conservation business offers a Walking with Wolves experience (Image: Predator Experience)
"It was quite validating and we were actually surprised that we got so far.
"It just means such a big deal for us because it helps us raise awareness of who we are and what we do.
"When you're a conservation company, sometimes you feel like you make people go to sleep.
"So to be taken seriously is an honour really."
At the moment, the experience is booking only but the company have embarked on a major development that will give the facility the capacity to hire more staff.
To book an experience, visit the Predator Experience website.
More staff will enable the company to open completely to the public instead of being solely for bookings.
A kitchen is being built so that refreshments can be served.
Predator Experience currently has four 'ambassador' wolves; Chitali, Cheveyo, Chalok and Chenoa who all arrived on site in 2022.
The pair seek to educate about apex predators and advocate rewilding and co-existence with nature (Image: Predator Experience)
Mrs Ashman said: "We wanted to do things to a much higher welfare standard that's generally associated with facilities.
"We wanted to take into account how the animal thinks, how it naturally behaves, and put people into their world rather than the other way around.
"We bring people into our facility so they can walk the wolves themselves.
"We go to Wolf Crag, which is where we call the space that they live.
"People can feed them treats and the wolves can choose whether to interact with them or not.
"It's very much on their terms, but quite often they'll just lie down and sleep!"
