If you were planning to stop by the Museum of Life and Science to have a look at our new red wolf pups, by all means do so. We’ve got our den cam up and running and the pups are visible via the monitor at the Red Wolf Overlook. Both male and female have frequently been seen walking about the enclosure. The male has been spotted delivering food to the female (lab rats). He’s also been observed regurgitating his own food (meatRead more
Posts filed in: Mammals
News Flash from the Red Wolf Enclosure!
I had just walked up to the Red Wolf Enclosure Overlook when I noticed the male wolf approach and sniff the female’s rear quarters. I quickly fumbled for my camera. The camera was in its case strapped to my belt. The zipper on the case had lost its pull-tab—tough to get the case open. This, and building anxiety at my not moving fast enough, delayed my ability to get in the first few shots of the event. For the pastRead more
Quiet Winter
It’s February, and so far this winter we’ve skated by with very few cold days—no ice storms, only one brief snow, and minimal frigid NW winds. That could change at any time, but for now, I’m going to enjoy the mild fifty, sixty, and yes, even seventy degree weather. The bird feeders have seen steady, but not heavy, use. The local chickadees, titmice, cardinals, nuthatches, and others have been regular customers at the feeders at Bird Viewing, but I’ve not seen anyRead more
The Pack That Howls Together…
If you’re lucky enough to be in Explore the Wild when our wolves begin to howl, you’re in for a treat. You’re heart will quicken. An element of wonderment, perhaps a tinge of fear, will stir in you. Adrenaline will pump through your veins, fight or flight. It’s a wild sound, an emotional sound. It’s a sound of the wilderness. When wolves howl, they’re communicating with one another. That communication may be an attempt to locate or socialize with members of theirRead more
Quick Quiz
Take a look at the photo below and see if you can identify the subject. If you said “the tail of an eastern gray squirrel,” you’d be correct. Now that you know what it is, did you know that eastern gray squirrels grow little tufts of white fur on their ears in winter? Eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) are everywhere in the east. From east Texas to Saskatchewan and east to the Atlantic Coast gray squirrels are a familiar sight.Read more
Red Wolf Forecast
If you’ve been following events here at the Museum you no doubt already know that we have a new female red wolf. She came to us from Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center in Chattanooga, TN back in November with the hopes of breeding with our male red wolf. Whether or not these two wolves come together is entirely up to the individuals involved, the wolves themselves. With cautious optimism, I will say that they seem to be getting alongRead more
Red Wolf Update 11.28.16
Since the introduction of our new female red wolf (1858), she and the male (1784) seem to be getting along well. I’ve noticed only one minor, and very brief, altercation and a few bared-teeth displays when food is present. This is normal behavior. If you’ve ever had more than one domestic pooch in your house at a time, you’ve probably seen the same or worse. The two wolves forage and even rest close to one another, a good sign. Breeding seasonRead more
Sleeping Raccoon
T’was a fine mid-November morn as I walked through Catch the Wind. I’d stopped to look through the partridge pea patch across from the signage which introduces Catch the Wind to hikers, walkers and strollers making their way around our outdoor exhibits. In the fall, partridge pea produces many pods filled with copious amounts of seeds. As the pods dry, they twisted upon themselves forcing the seeds to propel themselves out away from the plant. I was hoping to collectRead more
Red Wolf Release
The female wolf paced back and forth within the kennel. The male, sensing something was about to happen, watched intensely. They’d both been waiting for two weeks for this moment to arrive, and here it was. The female was about to be released into the main enclosure after having acclimated, as best she could, to her new surroundings. She’d come from another facility one state to the west of us and was now going to become part of the exhibit, theRead more