News

24 August 2011

New Arrivals in the Kingdom of the Carnivores

In the middle of June this year, the team of keepers in the carnivore section kept a close eye on our Iberian wolf pen as it was thought the female had given birth.

WSP Iberian cub

The cubs are all cared for underground by the mother and don’t appear for at least five weeks.

Now the cubs are around 9 weeks old and they’re at the stage where the keepers are trying to tell the males and females apart. As the wolves live with no direct contact from the keepers, this is quite tricky from a distance!

Iberian wolves live in small family units called packs and only the alpha male and female will breed, with one litter of cubs each year. The new cubs play a crucial role in the conservation of the species, as Woburn are part of the ‘Iberian Wolf Breeding Programme’. When old enough, the cubs will be re-home to other wildlife collections to help match new breeding pairs.

The cubs are strong and healthy and very playful, they are busy learning the ways of being a wolf from their parents and older siblings.