ELY - Wolf pups are coming to the International Wolf Center this spring. Wolf Center staff expect that the pups will arrive in May and will be visible to the public over the first weekend of June, but the dates are approximate, according to Chad Richardson, communications director.
“They are ambassadors to the wild, and the International Wolf Center believes in wolf education,” he said, “One method for accomplishing the Wolf Center’s mission of advancing survival of wolf populations in the wild is through the use of ambassador wolves. We see the benefits when visitors experience our captive wolves, especially socialized wolves that offer a glimpse into the individual traits of wolves, showing the social nature of the species that makes it successful as a top-level predator.”
Some people portray wolves for their predatory behavior and fail to appreciate the intricate pack life and social organization that keeps them together as a social unit, said Lori Schmidt, IWC wolf curator.
“As curator, it is my job to maintain a socially cohesive unit of wolves on the exhibit, and we do recognize that to do this, new life must be added to the exhibit.”
The International Wolf Center in Ely is a non-breeding exhibit, so when pups are added, about every four years or so, they coordinate with another professional animal organization. 
The source is dependent upon reproductive plans within their facility and availability.
“We always acquire captive-born pups,” Schmidt said. “This year we are coordinating again with the Wildlife Science Center in Stacy, Minn. They collaborated with the International Wolf Center first in 2008 to provide pups Aidan and Denali, and had pups ready for us in 2020, but the International Wolf Center had to cancel the transfer due to COVID-19.”
This year, the Wolf Center is planning to integrate the Northwestern subspecies into their exhibit pack.
“There are five subspecies of wolves in North America and we currently manage three subspecies, Canis lupus arctos (Axel and Grayson, born in 2016), Canis lupus occidentalis or northwestern subspecies (Denali, born in 2008) and Canis lupus nubilus or great plains subspecies (Grizzer, born in 2004),” she said.
The Wildlife Science Center has more than 100 wolves and is an active participant in both the Mexican gray wolf and red wolf captive breeding programs.
“The mission of WSC is to serve as an educational resource for all ages by: providing exposure to wild animals and the body of knowledge generated for their conservation; to advance understanding of wild animal biology through long-term, humane scientific studies on captive populations, thus contributing to technical training for wildlife agencies, educational institutions and conservation agencies,” Schmidt said.
How to see the pups
All wolf pup viewing opportunities must be booked in advance, and the Wolf Center’s 2021 pups will not be part of their hourly programs. “Because of COVID-19 restrictions, we will be structuring outdoor viewing opportunities that will require pre-registration to participate in a 15-minute pup viewing opportunity,” Schimdt noted. “We will do our best to accommodate everyone, but safety of our guests and our staff is paramount and opportunities may be weather dependent.”
Another way to see the 2021 wolf pups is with a one-hour behind-the-scenes tour, available for members only.
The International Wolf Center will also conduct a pup naming contest beginning in early June.
For more information on becoming a member of the International Wolf Center, go to www.wolf.org.