CHIPLEY, Fla. — It’s playtime at Seacrest Wolf Preserve in Chipley, Fla.

And 9-month-old gray wolf Geronimo is growing up with Lindsey Banks, who runs the wildlife education center in the Florida Panhandle’s Washington County

“So he is learning to be an ambassador and a wolf all at once," Banks said. "And you can see he's very inquisitive.”

Banks fights myths that have caused the species harm.

What Geronimo is not — Banks says — is a “Big Bad Wolf.”

“In all actuality, Little Red Riding Hood was a liar,” Banks said. “These guys are really more social, family, friends than we ever give them credit for."

Wolves are intelligent.

“So these guys are fantastic problem-solvers,” Banks said. “You can watch them figure out things rapidly. It’s so much fun.”

Getting an up-close experience means you can do that.

That’s what the wolf preserve offers — education on conservation and then meeting the animals it could benefit.

“It really is about the coolest thing ever, in my opinion,” Banks said.

The wolves are excited to play.

The humans new to them?

Sometimes it takes a minute to overcome some natural fear, Banks said.

“But I think, normally, once they get that first little wolf kiss or the first little nudge of a paw, they're generally pretty over it,” she said.

Something else about wolves — they understand suggestions, respond like dogs and they like to swim.

“They actually have webbed paws, so they love spending time in the water," Banks said. "So each of our enclosures has a pond area.”

The mission at the reserve is education and conservation for wolves in the wild.

But there’s more for Banks.

“It's the best thing in the world when these guys really accept you into their pack and they want to be your friend," Banks said. "I'm always just really honored that I get to be part of their lives.”

She’s part of a wolf pack.