Protect the wolves
An early Spring in 2007 brought Wolf Howl Animal Preserve a special treat. Four new Wolf pups were born to Ohoyo and Wa-ta-chee, our Alpha Female and Male. See the wolves of Ohoyo and her pups shortly after their birth. The Pups were pulled from the den at 8 days old due to expected heavy rains and the chance of the pups drowning in their den. They were all good size pups, the smallest being 2 lbs 5 oz. and the largest 2 lbs 12 oz. There were three females Wolf Pups and one male Wolf pup.
The pups were brought into the nursery where they were hand-raised and bottle-fed to socialize them to humans.* This makes their lives in captivity less stressful and in routine medical procedures and emergencies makes treating the Wolf so much easier. After a short period of time, 3 months, they were returned to the main enclosure to live with their Wolf Mother, Wolf Father and rest of the pack. The Wolf pups spent some of their time living in the home of the Founder and her Husband, Maria and Donald Ferguson. Some of the evenings had been too chilly to keep the nursery at 80 degrees which is required until the pups can regulate their own heat... 
artic wolves
These photos represent ten years of L. David Mech's study and photography of the wild wolves living in the high artic of Canada's Ellesmere island.
Living in a land that is shrouded inn darkness six months of the year, these wolves are not accustomed to humans as their counterparts living in lower Canada and the 48 states.
Because they are so remote, these wolves have not suffered centuries of abuse at the hands of humans, and thus have not learned to fear them. The result is that Dr. Mech was able to study these wild wolves more closely and intimatly then any other wolves.
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what they look like: Like humans, no two wolves look exactly alike. But most North American grey wolves have some common traits that can help us identify them. Wolf Ears:
Unlike dog ears, which are often large and floppy (as with beagles and retrivers) wolf ears are rounded, stand straight up, and are filled with fur.
Wolf Eye Color:
When wolf pups are about ten days of age, their eyes first open. Their eyes are a deep murky blue, but by about three weeks of age the pups eyes have turned a bright blue. Around six to eight weeks of age the pups eyes will turn green and finally will reach their adult color which can be anything from pale yellow, to amber or even orange or brown. The orange of this wolve's eyes is common.
Wolf Face:
One trait that is common among all adult grey wolves is their broad face, given them by the thick ruff of fur on the sides of their heads. Their eyes are narrow set, and their noses are long. |
Did you know these Wolf Facts?
Loss of habitat and persecution by Humans are leading factors in the Wolves "Endangered Species Status". This protection had been removed in Montana and Idaho in 2009 but reinstated in August of 2010. - Wolves lost the protection of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in Idaho and Montana in 2009 but Federal protection was reinstated in August of 2010.
- In 2009 hunting of Wolves during specified seasons and in certain areas is now legal in Idaho and Montana. This is unprecedented in the history of the ESA.
- The weight of the North American Wolf can be as little as 40 pounds or as large as 175 pounds.
- The length of the North American Wolf varies between 4'6" and 6'6" from muzzle to tip of tail.
- The height of an average Wolf is between 26 and 32 inches at the shoulder.
- Wolves have large feet, the average being 4 inches wide by 5 inches long.
- Wolves can live up to 13 years in the wild but the average is only 6 to 8 years.
- Wolves in captivity have been known to live up to 16 years.
- Wolves have 42 teeth.
- Wolves breed once a year, December through March, depending on latitude, the gestation period is 63 days.
- Wolf pups are born in northern climates as late as early June and in southern climates as early as late February
- The average litter size is 4 to 6 cubs.
- The cubs weigh approximately one pound at birth and cannot see or hear.
- Fur color varies from gray, tan and brown to pure white or black.
- Packs can have as little as 2 members or as many as 30 members. Average Pack size is 6 to 8.
- Pack Territories vary with location. In the Alaskan or Canadian Wilderness the territory for one pack ranges from 300 to 1,000 square miles while in the continental U.S. the territory is between 25 and 150 square miles.
- A Wolf in a hurry can go as fast as 35 miles per hour for short distances.
- The Wolves' diet of choice consists of deer, moose, caribou, elk, bison, musk-oxen and beaver. They have been know to survive on voles and mice if need be.
