ELY - The International Wolf Center’s two new pups here are available for public viewing starting today, Friday, June 3.
One way for Ely Wolf Center visitors to see the pups is through an outdoor viewing area adjacent to the wolf yard, where pups will be spending time conditioning to the human component of a public exhibit.
These programs are dependent on the weather, according to Wolf Curator Lori Schmidt. They last 15 minutes each and are held throughout the day.
Another way to see the wolf pups is with a one-hour behind-the-scenes tour. These tours are only available for members of the Center. Information about membership is available at www.wolf.org.
The center is also conducting a pup naming contest, beginning today, and will announce the names at a special virtual fundraising event on Tuesday, June 14, according to Director Krista Woerheide.
Advance tickets are available for purchase.
“Everyone who wants to guarantee themselves a chance to see the pups should get an advance admission ticket,” she said. “To get tickets, click the ‘Book Now’ button on the lower right-hand side of the page at www.wolf.org. For members of the Wolf Center, entrance tickets are free. We recommended that members also book their tickets in advance.”
The Ely Wolf Center planned to add pups in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced officials to delay those plans for one year.
The Wolf Center planned to add two pups last year, but was only able to obtain one. “Adding pups this year was important for the health of the pack, and to allow our yearling wolf, Rieka, to experience some pup behavior she lacked as a singleton,” Schmidt said.
The International Wolf Center is a non-breeding exhibit, and when pups are added, they coordinate with another professional animal organization. The source is dependent upon reproductive plans within their facility and availability. The Ely Wolf Center always acquires captive-born pups.
The 2022 pups were acquired from a USDA regulated facility in Minnesota. They will join the three wolves in the Exhibit Pack, including Axel and Grayson, each six years old, and Rieka, who turned one year on May 23.