Clarke Morrison
ASHEVILLE – Gray wolves are highly social animals that form family groups and hunt in packs.
So when the Western North Carolina Nature Center’s male wolf died in April, the center wanted to make sure his companion didn’t have to live out her days alone.
Shalimar will have plenty of company with the arrival this week of two gray wolf pups after a 12-hour flight from a wildlife facility in Bozeman, Montana.
“They are so awesome,” said Chris Gentile, the center’s director. “They are so playful and active. They still have that new puppy smell. They are howling. Play is so important to little wolves.”
The pups, which are 6 weeks old and weigh about 10 pounds each, will spend the next month in quarantine to make sure they aren’t carrying any diseases, but the public should be able to see them in the gray wolf exhibit later this summer, he said.
The center’s male gray wolf, 7-year-old Cody, had to be euthanized after it was stricken with cancer.
“It left our female gray wolf alone,” Gentile said. “We knew we needed to do something because wolves are so social. Unlike say a cougar that want to be by themselves, wolves form little family groups.
“When Cody passed away, we didn’t want Shalimar to spend the rest of her time alone. We decided to bring in two young wolves that we can put in with her.”
The pups, a brother and sister born in captivity, haven’t been named yet. Gentile said the center might have a naming contest, but the staff is learning toward Native American names that reflect the heritage of the region.
Shalimar will be introduced to the pups through a fence so they can get used to the sight and smell of each other.
“Once we have confidence they will get along, we’ll put them together and form a little pack,” he said. “If all goes well, the public hopefully can see them later in the summer.”
The gray wolves are one of the center’s most popular exhibits.
“We had a lot of outpouring of emotion when Cody passed away,” Gentile said.
He said gray wolves once roamed over much of North American, although it’s unclear if they were native to North Carolina. The pups will grow to about 80 pounds each. Gray wolves typically live 13-15 years in captivity.