Wolf Pups Growing

Stqe:ye and Denali are still nursing from Mahikan and they are starting to grow. Denali is venturing further from the den and both are much more mobile each day. Denali’s sister is more dominant now as she climbs on him and initiates the play. Denali does push his way in to nurse from his mother.

It was a pleasure to just sit out there and watch them play, grow stronger, watch their interaction with their mother but that all abruptly ended on June 2, 2019, when Mahikan moved them further down the back acre. There is a big pile 6 feet tall of tree blocks that Nahanni and Mahikan climbed on. They have also dug deep passages under the logs that interconnect with each other. That is where Mahikan is keeping her pups. With the grass 3-4 feet high it is difficult to watch them.

We think Mahikan moved them at 1 month old because it was getting crowded in the birth den with the pups growing. Also it was a message to Sally & I that she is their mother and does not want any help! We thought we were just watching them and would only interact if they approached us. Obviously Mahikan felt different.

It is very interesting that we had a 5 year relationship with Mahikan where she has grown very close to us and trusted us. Now that she is a mother that relationship is on hold and she views us as a potential threat to her pups.

Does she think we will take them from her? We will not do that but I think Mahikan feels that. I wonder if she remembers being taken from her mother around 12 days old? She certainly recalls leaving the breeder’s place when she was 5 weeks old.

We will just have to show Mahikan that we are no threat to her or her pups. Wolves and their relationships are all built on trust.

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