Wolves at the Zoo! =D

(image credit: vodoogmr on Flickr)
Hello followers! =)  It's been so long since I posted, I'm really sorry.  This is a post about my visit to the Memphis Zoo last week, and why I prefer to go during the winter.  So, that morning I woke up at 7:00 am, excited to go to the zoo as soon as we could get ready... and found out that we couldn't leave for a while yet.  I almost exploded, but we finally got to go! =)  When we arrived, the parking lot had filled up and they were parking people in a field in the park that the Zoo is beside.  We decided to eat out packed lunch in the  Teton Trek Lodge.  It wasn't terribly crowded, but there were lots of little kids field trips.  This is what the lodge looks like:





















(the picture isn't mine, I found it on Google Images)

This is the area of the Zoo where they have Wolves, Grizzly Bears, Elk, Swans, and animals of that nature.  We sat up on the balcony on the other side of the building.  We could see the wolves from where we sat!  These pictures let you see how the exhibit is situated.  The wolves live in the left part and the bears live in the right in this picture:

(These pictures aren't mine) 

Anyway, see that rail across from the wolf exhibit.  There was a guy leading some little kids on a field trip and the kids were starting to climb on the fence.  The guy was like: "Hey, don't do that, the wolves will eat you!!!"
Yeah right... These wolves have been around people since they were 14 days old.  When they were puppies they were bottle-fed by over 300 children.  They would most certainly NOT eat anyone.
 This is why wolves have such a bad rap, misinformed people like that tell people to be scared of them.  It was sad, after the guy said that one of the kids told another kid that the wolf wanted to bite them. =(  I was up on the balcony in the lodge when he said that and I almost yelled, "WOLVES DON'T EAT PEOPLE!!!"  I decided against it though.
After we finished eating we walked around the Teton Trek exhibit some.  The bears weren't on exhibit that day because their pond was being cleaned.  We got to stay with the wolves for 30 minutes, even though most of the time they were sleeping.
My sister Hannah and I sad some wolf fur on the fence here: (once again, this picture isn't mine)

And we wished we had some.  Unfortunately, there was a rail/fence thing about five feet back from the fence.  Well, we looked down, and between the chainlink and the rail there were little clumps of wolf fur!  We found a long stick, and whenever there weren't any people looking at us, we'd use the stick to get some wolf fur.  We managed to get a sizable clump.  After waiting at the fence to see if a wolf would come up to see us(My favorite wolves have come to see me twice!), we decided they weren't coming and went to take some pictures of the wolves, who were sleeping in the other side of the exhibit.  I will introduce them to you first.
The wolves are all siblings, one male and three females.
Dakota - Alpha Male(1st in rank and my favorite) - dark markings down his back(see picture above)
Rocki - Beta Female(2nd in rank) - light markings and white face
Meeka - Alpha Female(1st in rank) - blonde in color and pronounced underbite
Shiloh - Omega female(lowest rank) - has similar markings as Dakota, but a bit lighter.  She's also the smallest.

Those are the wolves. =)  Here are the pictures I took of them:

Rocki and Shiloh taking a nap.  Isn't it soooo cute how Shiloh is sleeping with the rope bone under her chin?


Dakota is annoyed by all the little kids howling at him...


Meeka smiling. =)  I put that zoo logo on there, I was trying to make a postcard.

These are some pictures I took of the wolves on previous visits.  =)


Dakota and Rocki.  Rocki is the one on the ground, Dakota is on the stump. =)


Dakota looking very intense. =)  I'm pretty proud of this picture.  I was trying to make another postcard here.


This is a picture I took of Meeka on the wolves first day on exhibit in Oct. 2009.  Can you believe this girl is only 5 months old here?

Before I proceed, the Memphis Zoo logo belongs to the Memphis Zoo.  I dont' claim any ownership of it.


This is Shiloh with a stick.  Aren't her eyes pretty! =)


This picture is of Meeka displaying dominance over Rocki.  Note Meeka's high tail and how her ears are up. Rocki is laying her ears back and lowering her tail in submission.


This is one of my favorite photos that I've taken.  I got to get really close to Dakota.  It was such an amazing experience.


Meeka displaying her underbite.  Isn't it soo cute! =)

Anyway, that's it for today!  I'm going to the Zoo again twice next month so I'm going to post about it then too!  Also, I mentioned that I like going to the Zoo in the off season better.  It's because the wolves are more active, I usually have them to myself, and there's not any little field trip kids screaming or howling at the wolves.  Thus ends my wolf crazy post.  Have a great day!

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