Pups Emerge From the Den – May 5, 2019

May 5, 2019

On this date, Mahikan gave birth to wolf puppies (not sure how many). She went down into her den around 4PM on the day before. Mahikan & Nahanni had dug this den over a one year period. It is dug under some conifer trees and is 3 feet below ground & estimated to be 5 feet long. It is a steep 45 degree angle at the entrance of the den.

It appeared Mahikan was having some difficulty giving birth to her pups as she appeared in some discomfort. We could tell by Nahanni’s reaction that she had given birth. On Monday, May 6th, Mahikan surfaced (around 7AM), had a pee & then immediately went back into the den. I could tell from her reduced tummy she had given birth.

We did not see Mahikan again till Saturday, May 11th around noon. I was quite concerned about her on Tuesday, May 7th. Had she died giving birth? Whether she came out during the night is unknown but there was food out during one of the nights and it was not eaten. Mahikan had put on some weight prior to the birth, which she definitely used during this time. Nahanni was caching some food & that is not his style. Despite being able to observe the den easily, we were very much in the dark as to Mahikan’s actions regarding her pups but she was caring for them it what appeared her designed secrecy. Wolves do not need humans & it was very clear to us that Mahikan was doing just fine so stop worrying.

To follow the development of the pups, follow it through videos on Gary R. Allan’s Vimeo account, https://vimeo.com/user68339709