Wolf Hollow Pups: Week I

by Michael M. Sweeney
Email the Author

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.

Click On Photos For High Resolution
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.

Click On Photos For High Resolution
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.

Click On Photos For High Resolution