Wolf Hollow Pups: Week II

by Michael Sweeney

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At the moment of birth, a wolf puppy already possess an innate understanding of the pack dynamic, drawing from an inherited ancestral knowledge locked away in their genes. In only their first days of life they will begin establishing their place in the pack, asserting themselves over their siblings to fulfill the primal drive inherent in each of their lupine minds.

The five new wolf puppies at Wolf Hollow are no exception to this ancient social structure, and in only their third week of life are making it clear who will be first to feed In this developing pack. Unlike humans, who have culturally-relative family hierarchies that are very flexible and subjective, wolves hold true to their wild traditions and perpetuate the rule and law of the pack very strictly. 

These wild traditions of lupine social structure greatly predate our own human family structures, spanning as far back as 10 millions years. It is believed that the most likely candidate for the common ancestor of modern Gray Wolves is the Hare-Eating Wolf, a small canine-like species that existed in the southern half of North America until the early Pleistocene period. 

LEFT: Nina, Wolf Hollow's resident alpha female. RIGHT: Weeble, Wolf Hollow's resident alpha male.
Photographs taken by WH volunteer Lori Gordon.

This ten million year old hierarchy is rapidly unfolding before us at Wolf Hollow, and the five new pups are truly displaying the creative beauty of nature. As one pup exhibits dominance over the others, and as others offer submission to those emerging as higher on the totem pole, there is a general sense of both acceptance and understanding among the five. 

 

Lineaa has thus far displayed the most dominance among her siblings, and according to Joni Soffron is the likeliest candidate to emerge as the alpha-female. Lineaa's disposition and actions reflect a natural sense of self-confidence and self-sufficiency, and with each passing day the hierarchal gap between her and the other four pups is becoming clearer and more defined.

An indication of this assertiveness has been occurring regularly during feedings, which now at three weeks of age has gone from every three hours to every five and a half to six hours. While it may not be as novel an image as an alpha getting first taste of a kill after a hunt, Lineaa has been knocking her brothers and sisters off of the bottle while being fed, asserting that she should hold the right as first to feed.

Lineaa's siblings have exhibited very different traits during this vital period of hierarchal establishment, which at this point is still in its early stages, but is no less offering glimpses and indications of what the future holds for the puppies. Lineaa's sister, Niveah, has contrarily emerged as a very sweet girl with no signs of a dominant personality. While Lineaa is pushing her brothers and sisters around during feeding, Niveah is more likely to be found in the lap of a human companion seeking warmth and affection.

Grendel and the yet to be named male runt of the litter have also indicated that they will likely not ascend higher than a beta in the pack hierarchy. Both of them have emerged as very sweet and loving boys, but have remained largely uninterested in asserting themselves in the establishment of the pack. Grendel has become the loner of the group, and can usually be found tending to his own while his siblings play, and the male runt is more interested in sleeping and staying warm. 

 

The remaining male, Argus, is the only puppy showing any signs of challenging Lineaa in her displays of dominance. While these challenges are only a very recent occurrence, they're no less evident and create some uncertainty about the future positioning of the two. Joni Soffron has witnessed Argus laying across Lineaa and dropping his dead weight on her, though thus far she has just shrugged him off, and it has not yet appeared to greatly alter their pack rankings. 

Joni Soffron feeding Lineaa, the likeliest candidate to become the alpha female of the five puppies.

 

While the picture painted here is an intriguing one, it's far from being complete. Just like little lights blinking on across a circuit board, one by one the puppies instincts are being activated, cultivating new behaviors and molding their individual senses of self. It is how each of these individuals come together as a collective that will determine the order of the pack.

If you want to see the early stages of a wolf puppies life, make sure to check out our website for more information on visiting, and don't forget to friend us on Facebook for regular updates and news! These first days of the puppies life have beautifully illuminated the ancient rule of the wild, humbling us humans with its intricacies and complexities. Wolves know their place in the order of things, just as the late Rudyard Kipling wrote:

Now this is the law of the jungle --

As old and as true as the sky;

and the wolf that shall keep it may prosper,

but the wolf that shall break it must die.

As the creeper that girdles the tree trunk

the Law runneth forward and back --

for the strength of the pack is the wolf,

and the strength of the wolf is the pack.

Wolf Hollow Pups: Week I

by Michael M. Sweeney
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During the dead hours of the morning on May 12th, while the rest of Ipswich was fast asleep, Wolf Hollow quietly welcomed home Joni Soffron and her team of volunteers. There was no homecoming party, no grand public welcome after their long trek to Indiana and back; only a quiet thankfulness among all involved for what this morning stood for.

Joni and her team returned from Wolf Creek in Indiana with five wolf pups, which were born only days earlier on April 29th. Still tiny enough to fit in the palm of your hand, the pups were settled into where they would be nurtured for the coming weeks, not yet knowing that right outside stood the fields they would soon reign over as a solitary pack.

The litter born at Wolf Creek was a count of seven, though one died shortly after birth, and one male remained with his mother Loki Souix in Indiana. The girls of the group have been named Nevaeh and Lineah, and the boys Argus and Grendel, with one male remaining unnamed for the sake of a naming contest to raise money.

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LEFT: Weeble in the field the pups be sharing with him. | RIGHT: Zee Soffron holding a puppy during their first public presentation.

At this point you might ask – how do we go about integrating five wolf pups into our already established pack ruled by Weeble and Nina? They don't even know each other, won't they just gobble up the pups and call it a day? Oh the horror of throwing five little babies to the wolves, right?

Wrong.

Wolves are creatures of instinct, their actions and disposition are drawn from an ancient well of genetic memory deep inside of them. No matter how big the wolf, no matter how red of tooth and claw they may be, wolves will unconditionally accept pups younger than two months as their own. That funny term we call "puppy breath" actually triggers their rearing instincts, and just as if they were born right here in Ipswich, they will be accepted and properly raised by Weeble and Nina.

Less than a week into their lives at Wolf Hollow, the pups have not actually met their soon-to-be parents. At this stage of their infancy, they would still be breast feeding off of their mother, and thus must be nurtured appropriately before meeting Weeble and Nina. Until they reach six weeks of age, they are on a mother's diet of fresh goats milk, half-and-half cream, cottage cheese, and gelatin, which is for the healthy development of their vision.

Once six weeks of age has been reached, the puppies will move to solid food, and then begin the fast process of meeting Weeble and Nina. Until then, it is of the utmost importance that they're properly nurtured and vigilantly observed; and it is wonderful to say that so far the observations have been absolutely fascinating.

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Volunteers and visitors during the first wolf puppy presentation on May 14th.

"Even at this stage you can tell, with decent accuracy, who will be the dominant pups," commented Zee Soffron, the son of Wolf Hollow founder, Paul Soffron. "Leneah is clearly the assertive female, whereas Grendel has secluded himself from the others."

Even though the pups are essentially deaf and blind at this stage of their development, they can already identify family members by scent recognition. Zee and Joni Soffron have noticed that when they are in the nest with other people, the puppies have already begun to naturally gravitate toward them. Amazingly, at only two weeks old, these little pups are establishing their pack dynamic and simultaneously forming bonds with their human caretakers.

The pups are now beginning their first full week at Wolf Hollow, and it promises to be an intriguing time for wolf enthusiasts everywhere. Each Monday we will be posting to this blog with an update of the pups' progress, complete with high resolution photographs and expert analysis of the rearing process. This blog will offer a rare, intimate look into lives of our five new pups, sharing everything from their first introductions to Weeble and Nina, to who emerges as alphas as they come of age.

Next Monday we will feature new and updated pictures of the puppies to show their speed of growth, as well as photographs and insight into their soon-to-be parents. Until then, make sure to friend request us on Facebook to keep updated on blog posts and announcements, and check out the Wolf Hollow website for information and directions.

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