Wolf Cubs and Wildlife Conservation

The UK Wolf Conservation Trust has adopted three wolf cubs. On the right is Mosi who, along with her sister, came from Dartmoor Wildlife Park after their mother neglected them and their den was flooded by heavy rains. It's hard to believe looking at them now that Mosi and Mai arrived as bedraggled tiny creatures that resembled baby hyenas rather than wolves.

Torak, their male pack-mate, was adopted from the Anglian Wolf Society, and has been named after the hero in Michelle Paver's excellent novel 'Wolf Brother'. (Available from www.ukwolf.org).

I was at the Trust this week with Michelle where we spent time with the young cubs. They are extremely playful, and even at this tender age, very wolfy in their behaviour. They were fed their first whole rabbit on Thursday evening, and there ensued much snarling and posturing as the cubs sorted out their hierarchy.

Earlier in the day, Ian Rowlands from Tooth and Claw (www.toothandclaw.org.uk) visited the Trust, and we spent time talking about Britain's predators, our views on wolf reintroduction and how we can work together for wildlife conservation. Tooth and Claw are doing an excellent job in trying to bring together the different groups with polarised views about predators. Not an easy task, but one that is worth pursuing and supporting. Finding common ground has surely got to help conservation.

Photo by Alex Hampson