Arctic wolf cubs have started to emerge to the delight of zoo visitors in Austria.
The four cubs are the first to be born after a seven-year pause in new arrivals at the world's oldest zoo located in the Austrian capital of Vienna.
That changed with the arrival of a female wolf who arrived at Schönbrunn Zoo in 2017 from the Knuthenborg Safari Park in Denmark, and then two male wolves arrived from the Monde Sauvage Safari Park in Belgium last year.
The four cubs were born at the end of April in a low-lying burrow and were raised there by their mother. They can be seen in video exploring their surroundings under the watchful gaze of their mother and other members of the pack.
The tiny balls of fur appear to be quite adventurous in the footage, exploring tree trunks and studying their environment. They can also be seen playfully biting each other's legs and tussling with one another.
Other images show them covered in water as they are rained on, but they don't seem to mind. The four cubs are often seen together in the images, either cuddling up for a nap or simply playing.
Animal keeper Paul Wagner said: "At first, wolf puppies have their eyes closed and are completely helpless. They need the protection of the den and the care of the mother. Meanwhile, you can often watch the four little ones playing, drinking and exploring. In addition, they gain their first social experiences with the pack."
The footage shows adult members of the pack letting out long howls, presumably to teach the young cubs what to do.
Wolf cubs rarely retreat to the building to sleep and are suckled for about three months before slowly moving over to the diet of meat. They can be seen being fed toward the end of the footage, with one tiny cub picking up a rather large piece of meat in its mouth.
Schönbrunn Zoo Director Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck said: "The breeding success confirms that the composition of the pack fits."
He said that the Arctic wolf (Canis lupus arctos) inhabits the northern regions of North America and Greenland, and added: "The brown-colored juveniles are difficult for enemies to spot in the burrows. Later, they get the bright white fur which in their snow-covered homeland makes them almost invisible to prey."
This story was provided to Newsweek by Zenger News.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
