Wolf Timbers - The Wolves

About our wolves
Click on the photos to learn more about our wolves!
Photos © Monty Sloan / Wolf Timbers

Nira is our beta male and perhaps the most social of the three wolves at Wolf Timbers. Up until Ingo`s arrival, Nira did not have a worry in the world. Now, he must submit to Ingo under most circumstances. Nira is still dominant over Ingo when food is involved. Nira lost his alpha status to Ingo sometime during the fall/winter of 2001-2002. This was a bloodless coup.

Nira displays a lot of intensity and has been given another nickname, that of "KING". Nira seems intent on helping us humans follow the age old wolf pack societal rules that have for so long governed these predators. Simply put, Nira forces us to follow wolf laws. If we follow and conduct ourselves accordingly, Nira is pleasant to be around, and can be amusing at times.

As of September 2000, Nira weighs around 110 pounds and he is beginning to develop more gray in his coat. He is still ever ready to solicit belly rubs from the humans that care for him. He has meet most of his sponsors and generally finds meeting new humans to be interesting.

An interesting event occurred on 9-10-2000. Three volunteers were in the enclosure with the wolves and horseflies were bothering the wolves. Marty, our director, was standing near Nira and all of a sudden, this big horsefly (jumbo horsefly) landed on his leg. Nira witnessed this and ever so delicately nipped the fly off of Marty`s leg and proceeded to kill and eat the horsefly. It was amazing to watch the precision and great eye-teeth coordination that Nira possessed (much to Marty`s delight) in surgically extracting this bothersome fly from Marty`s pant leg.

Please click here to access our new Nira Update Page

Keeley, our alpha female and overall pack omega wolf, is a tawny colored wolf - and in contrast to Nira, is what the public is accustomed to seeing in the gray wolf. Keeley is a gentle, somewhat shy wolf, and is liked by all who meet her.

Although Keeley is our alpha female, she is also our shyest wolf. She is more apt to run away than confront danger or to reprimand little Ingo. In fact, Keeley doted on Ingo when he was introduced to the pack in July, 1999 -- so much so that her health became a concern.

She had lost weight because she was regurgitating food for Ingo, when Ingo was a pup.

Please click here to access our new Keeley Update Page

Last, but certainly not least, is Ingo. Like Keeley, Ingo is a tawny colored wolf. Unlike Keeley, Ingo does not have a shy bone in his body.

Ingo was born at Wolf Park on April 22, 1999. His parents are Karin, who had inherited the alpha position when Altair died in late 1997, and Seneca, who inherited the alpha position two weeks later when Orca was removed from the pack after paralyzing himself.

Ingo was introduced to Keeley and Nira On August 8, 1999. He was almost immediatly accepted by the two adults. He only weighed 18 pounds then, but as of October, 1999, he weighs 65.

Ingo is really enjoyed his puppyhood - taking liberties with the adults and seeming to enjoy this. If another adult wolf dared to take such liberties as Ingo did, severe discipline would probably result.

Please click here to access our new Ingo Update Page

For more on Ingo, check out The Ingo Page

Wolves live in packs, like an extended human family - where there are mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles and occasionally grandparents. Wolves typically live in areas where there is low human disturbance of the countryside. Biologists once thought that wolves could only live in "wilderness" however, they have since found out that like its smaller cousin, the coyote, wolves can live in most areas that support an ample game population and where humans, through better education and understanding, permit them to live as wolves.

UPDATE ON THE WOLVES

Just a brief update of the wolves at Wolf Timbers. They are all doing well. Nira seems to have relinquished the alpha status to Ingo. Keeley is doing fine, she came into estrus in early February. Ingo is fine, although a bit dominant.