Wild at heart

(Annie Marie Musselman)When her mother passed away in 2002, Musselman found herself turning to the natural world for guidance and comfort. She began working at an animal sanctuary, interacting closely with endangered animals of the Pacific Northwest."It changed my whole vision of life and what we're all about as human beings," she said. Wild animals, untouched by civilization, are still incredibly similar to humans, she said. "I got it in my head that I wanted to show those similarities in my pictures, to show that connection and make people care more."

(Annie Marie Musselman)

(Annie Marie Musselman)In 2010, Musselman scored a commission from the Getty Images Grant for Good, which connects photographers with nonprofits to create new imagery and help raise awareness for good causes. For her project, Musselman reached out to Wolf Haven International in Tenino, Washington. Since 1982, the sanctuary has rescued and provided a home to more than 180 displaced, captive-born animals.The sanctuary spreads over 82 acres, and includes multiple prairies, wetlands, and woodlands that are home to a diverse natural ecosystem filled with butterflies, eagles, and ravens. Since 2011, Musselman has traveled the two hours from her home to the sanctuary nearly once a week. She's taken time off here and there due to weather or work, but if she's away for too long, she aches for it. "When I'm there, I feel it's how the world should be."

(Annie Marie Musselman)

(Annie Marie Musselman)The wolves are fenced in, but you can wander the grounds almost endlessly, finding an almost limitless number of new viewpoints."I'm trying to capture that feeling of wildness, what they are really like." What Musselman witnessed was surprising. "I didn't know they could be so timid and shy, but so complex and have these incredible ways of living with each other. They are incredibly intelligent, social animals," she said.

(Annie Marie Musselman)Wolf Haven works tirelessly to match each wolf with a mate."They can't just live with any wolf," Musselman said. When paired well, the wolves will stay with each other for life. One such pair — a stunning white wolf, Jesse, and wolf dog, Shiloh — left an impression on Musselman. The two are featured in several of her photographs — nuzzling, playing, romping. But during Musselman's time there, Wolf Haven vets found a tumor in Shiloh and the wolf had to be euthanized. Musselman said the ripple effect of grief through the sanctuary was heartbreaking. "[Jesse] lost her best friend and her lover and she just howled." In fact, after Shilo's death, the whole sanctuary howled for days.

(Annie Marie Musselman)The wolves remind you of what we have lost with civilization, Musselman said. "They're so intuitive and they have so many qualities that we are missing out on as humans," she said. "I'm trying to figure out how to get that back, how to have the instinct, the passion, and the love. I don't know if it's possible. But there's something really amazing about that wildness. They're so happy, just really connected and happy beings."

(Annie Marie Musselman)

(Annie Marie Musselman)For more of Annie Marie Musselman's work, you can check out her website or follow her on Instagram. If you are in the Denver area, you can also see Musselman's Wolf Haven photos in person at Month of Photography, through April.