5 Wolf Pups Rescued From A Fire That Will Light Up Your Life
A group of five dehydrated, injured, abandoned wolf pups is now safe and sound in Anchorage after an emergency response team discovered them frightened in their den, where they were nearly incinerated by an encroaching wildfire.
The fire, which has been tearing through Alaska's Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, caused the rest of the wolves in the pups' pack to flee, leaving the vulnerable babies to fend for themselves.
(Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)
(Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)
Firefighters who saw the pups went to great lengths to rescue them, and thankfully, most of the wolves survived. "They would have died if we didn't pull them out," firefighter Jefferson Sam told KTUU. "For me, it was the right thing to do."
(John Gomes/Alaska Zoo)
Rescue workers gave the wolves water and sugar to help get them hydrated, then took them for emergency care at the Alaska Zoo. According to the zoo's development director, Jill Myer, the wolves will likely be unable to rejoin their pack or any other in the wild; the zoo is looking for a refuge where they can be re-homed.
(John Gomes/Alaska Zoo)
At the moment, the pups are recovering and relaxing. "They're just sleeping and eating," Myer told the Anchorage Daily News. "They're doing normal puppy things."
(John Gomes/Alaska Zoo)