The New Pups of Spring

COLORADO WOLF STORIES XVIII

Photo by Clint McKnight

Note: This continuing story is a work of informed speculation. It tells the imagined experiences of a family of gray wolves who represent the 10 actual wolves captured in Oregon and released in Colorado in December 2023 as directed by a state voter initiative.

---

Amber-Eyes pauses at the entrance to the family’s new den. She cocks her ears toward the dark interior and inhales the sweet, musky odors coming from within.

She crouches and steps into the narrow passageway. It leads about 15 feet back, through a thin curtain of skinny roots, before opening into a larger chamber. All is quiet except for the sound of gentle snuffling. Her eyes have adjusted to the darkness now, and Amber can just make out the form of her mother, lying against the sloping back wall, her head up and her eyes glistening, even in the gloom.

And Amber can see the puppies now. Five small, gently wriggling newborns, her new sisters and brothers, each nursing contentedly.

Mother Wolf wags her tail as Amber steps forward, and she shares an affectionate lick with her oldest daughter.

Each pup is covered in soft, dark fur and weighs about a pound. Their eyes are not yet open. They have no sense of hearing and their mobility is limited. They are completely reliant on their mother in every way. Even their body temperature depends on physical contact with her.

One pup disengages and struggles out of the tangle of small bodies. It crawls blindly toward Amber, who lowers her nose to nuzzle the tiny wolf and drink in its milky scent.

One-by-one, the other pups finish nursing. Mother Wolf cleans them with her tongue as they crawl about. Amber nudges her little explorer back toward the others which are now clustering together up against the warmth of mom’s body. With their bellies full, the pups are now intent only on sleeping.

There is a scraping sound at the den entrance, and the dim light reveals a new visitor. Little Wolf comes in carrying a long stick which he awkwardly maneuvers through the narrow tunnel. He approaches the knot of sleeping puppies and presents them with the prize, setting it down next to them. Little Wolf grins and play-bows in expectation of a game. When there is no reaction, he steps forward to sniff at the unresponsive newborns. As he moves to prod them with his paw, Mother Wolf snaps at him and growls. Little Wolf jerks backward in surprise—message received! He sits next to his sister and scratches behind his ear.

Mother Wolf gently licks her sleeping puppies while Amber-Eyes and Little Wolf stare at them in fascination. The siblings who were themselves born just 12 months ago cannot remember their own newborn condition. These tiny, helpless creatures are something the yearlings have never experienced, and they are an astonishment.

Her second litter is no surprise to Mother Wolf, however. Neither is the exhaustion she feels. Carrying a belly-full of growing wolf pups for two months, giving birth, and now feeding them several times a day has taken a toll. She cannot leave the pups to hunt or eat. She is entirely dependent on the rest of her family to bring her food, not only to keep her own strength up but so she can produce enough milk for five hungry mouths.

Mother Wolf is hungry too. She knows that her mate, brother, and younger daughter have been out hunting since early this morning, and she is counting on their success.

---

But the hunt has not gone well. This is not unusual, as wolves are successful in making a kill only about 5% to 20% of the time. Theirs is truly a life of feast or famine. An adult wolf is well suited to this irregular intake of nutrients but a newborn pup is not.

In the first light of dawn, Big Gray, Black Wolf, and Green-Eyes came upon a solitary bull elk. They gave chase, and Black Wolf gained a biting hold on his flank, but as Big Gray came alongside to make a leaping grab at the throat, he was stepped on by the 800-pound animal, and his right front paw was badly injured.

The gray male was forced to drop back. Greenie then tried to help pull the elk down from the other side but she was kicked in the ribs and fell behind. Black Wolf had to let go, and the big bull raced away.

The hunting party regrouped, attended to their wounds, and began their return to the birthing den, with Big Gray limping painfully behind.

---

As the sun clears the mountain horizon, the trio comes upon a large beaver pond with its distinctive lodge positioned protectively away from the bank. Green-Eyes has shaken off her bruising. She trots down for a drink, and immediately notes a V-shaped wake in the still waters as a big male beaver monitors her from a safe distance.

SPLASH! The beaver slaps the surface of the water with his tail to warn the intruder away. The effect, however, is exactly the opposite of that intended. The young wolf is excited by the display. She leaps into the shallows and the beaver disappears beneath the surface. Greenie returns to the bank and races along the water’s edge looking for him to resurface.

Big Gray is grateful for the interruption in the journey. He finds a place on the hillside to lay down and lick at his injured paw. Another loud tail slap is made by the beaver who has resumed cruising back and forth between the lodge and shoreline. There must be kits inside the sturdy wooden structure that the male is determined to protect.

Although injured and in pain, the big gray is determined too. Spring is a time when many residents of the mountains have young to care for: pups, kits, calves, cubs, fawns, lambs, and hatchlings of all types. Big Gray has his own family depending on him. So he rises, and gingerly works his way down to the willows at water’s edge.

---

Back at the den, Mother Wolf ducks through the entrance after a quick trip outside for a much-needed drink of water. In the dim light, she is pleased to find that Amber-Eyes has laid down next to the pups to keep them warm in her absence.

The coal-black female sniffs each of her little ones to confirm all is well, and she resumes puppy-warming duties. The pups squirm and squeak during the disturbance, then immediately go back to sleep, their fat bellies rising and falling rhythmically with each breath.

Movement at the den entrance causes Mother Wolf to raise her head in hopes it is the hunters returning with food. Instead, Little Wolf reappears. He comes to his mother and sits down, wagging his tail. Then he leans forward and drops a mangled vole in front of her. She looks up at him with affection, and instantly downs the snack.

She could easily eat 50 more.

Now Green-Eyes and Black Wolf enter the den. The hunters have returned, but Mother Wolf is disappointed to see they have brought nothing for her. Instead, they come forward to check on the newborns. Like all wolf packs, every member of the family takes keen interest in the puppies, but it will take more than curiosity to keep them alive.

After a time, another bulky silhouette blocks the light coming through the entrance. Big Gray has finally made it home.

It is obvious that the wolf father has been through an ordeal. He limps on an injured foot. He is soaking wet and he has bite marks on his face. Mother Wolf is concerned but now she catches an unmistakable scent that sets her tail to thumping.

The hunt has been successful after all.

Big Gray’s big shadow approaches his mate, and he deposits in front of her the unlikely but solid meal she and her new pups desperately need: a 60-pound semi-aquatic rodent with a broad scaly tail full of nutritious fat.