New wolf pups born for IWC
By Steve Foss
If all has gone as planned, three new gray wolf puppies have taken or are about to take up residence at the International Wolf Center in Ely.
To bolster an ambassador pack made up of two adult Arctic subspecies gray wolves, center leaders have chosen three wolf pups, born a couple of weeks ago at a private Minnesota breeding facility.
The pups, likely two females and a male, are scheduled to arrive at the center in Ely sometime this weekend, and will be about 12 days old. The pups, contingent on veterinarian approval, are tentatively scheduled to make their debut to the public on May 30. They will be involved in educational programs such as ýPup 101ý and ýBreakfast with the Pups.ý Visitors also can be photographed with the animals as a way for the center to raise money.
For those unable to make the trip, the pups will be featured via a 24-hour Web camera at www.wolf.org once they settle in.
Wolf curator Lori Schmidt said that, while the two adult wolves, Shadow and Malik, provide excellent educational value to visitors, adding male and female pups will form a pack that likely will show more varied behavior. Part of the centerýs goal is to educate people about wolves.
ýWhile the wolf is steeped in myth and is such a reclusive predator, ambassador wolves help the center forge a connection between people and the animal,ý said Walter Medwid, center executive director. ýThese wolves open the door to understanding, debunk myths and offer visitors a chance to witness an elusive predator they would not likely see in the wild.ý
Schmidt is teamed with wolf expert Dr. David Mech, Ely veterinarian Chip Hansen and others to plan the pupsý arrival and care. Schmidt said the pups are vulnerable to adverse temperatures and disease, need to be fed around the clock and need to bond with their caretakers and their pack.
The team will simulate wolf den conditions with 24-hour daily care for the first three weeks.
And seventy ýwolf nannies,ý representing 23 states and three countries, have been selected to help care for the pups. The nannies and the wolf care team will feed, burp, clean, comfort and socialize the pups. When they are strong enough, the pups will be introduced to the public in daily programs at the center. At about thre months of age, the youngsters will join three-year-old Malik and Shadow in the main enclosure as part of the centerýs ambassador exhibit pack.
More information is available one the centerýs Web site, or you can call (800) ELYWOLF, ext. 25.