Two wolf pups have been successfully introduced to the exhibit pack at the International Wolf Center in Ely, Minn.
Brothers Cedar and Rowan were brought into the pack on July 27 following months of socialization. The pair of black wolves arrived at the center in late May at just 2 pounds each, said wolf curator Giselle Narváez Rivera.
“They were adopted at 10 days old, and we care for them until the end of their lives. This will be their home,” Narváez Rivera said.
Today, Cedar and Rowan are both 44 pounds, she said.
Pups are introduced at this time of year when adult wolves go puppy-crazy with spikes of prolactin, a hormone that turns them into animals that want to feed and adopt any pup they come across.
The wolves came from a litter of seven, a bit larger than a typical litter, by way of an educational research facility in Wisconsin, Narváez Rivera said.
The pups are monitored closely for a week after they are introduced to the pack to make sure they are adjusting to their new home. So far, staff members have observed the adults displaying corrective behaviors and setting boundaries with the younger pack mates, according to a news release.
Greg Stanley of the Minnesota Star Tribune contributed to this report.
