Top Photo: Oka patiently waits for his companion Martha.

Mating season for red wolves is January and February. With a 63 day average gestation period most red wolf pups are born in April or May.

The majority of red wolves we’ve housed here at the museum were active during January and February, and have indeed been photographed while tied together. I’ve most often photo’d the wolves while they were mating during the third week in February.

Martha, our female, spends her days inside #2 den in the red wolf enclosure. Oka, the male, is most often seen coiled up and patiently waiting outside in the bottom left corner of the red wolf enclosure (as in the banner photo above).

Exhibits Tech Dakota has set up a few trail cameras to try and catch any nocturnal activity within the enclosure. So far, he tells me that both animals are actively moving around the enclosure at night, but nothing has been recorded indicating mating has taken place. We curious humans are just going to have to wait 60 some days to find out if mating has indeed occurred between our two nocturnal canids.

We will inform you!

In other news, photos were shot through the black bear enclosure’s chainlink fence showing Murray, our 2 year old black bear actually inside Mimi’s cave. Mimi’s very protective of the cave and since the passing of our male bear Gus, who used to hog the grotto, she’s taken hold of it and not allowed any other bear access.

The photo above shows Murray just inside the cave with 21year old Mimi out on the front porch, head hung low. Murray’s stay didn’t last long as he soon left after being snubbed by the older bear. I suspect Murray was looking to share the space, to snuggle up to Mimi. But, being rejected by the solitude seeking Mimi, he departed.

Last week I was tracking birds, raccoons and myself through the snow. Today is 70 degrees.

Have a good last week of winter!