Posted on August 31, 2012
WILLIAMSBURG--Have you ever thought about joining a wolf pack? For about an hour, 13News was part of the Gray Wolf wolf pack at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.
Two of the new arrivals at Wolf Park are Kaya and Beo, which came from Montana. Boise, a rescue pup from Idaho, and Mia, their surrogate mother, make up the pack.
The adolescent wolves are being acclimated to the park and its enclosures so they can one day be introduced into one of three 'mature' wolf packs at the park.
Mia, which happens to be a dog, keeps the pups in line. It's her job to keep them submissive so they won't be too aggressive when they join the "mature" wolf pack hierarchy.
"So, when they're introduced to the adults later on down the road, they have a much, much higher likelihood of success. They are much less likely to be aggressive toward those adult wolves which, of course, could put them in a very dangerous situation," explains Jay Tacey, manager of Zoological Operations at Busch Gardens.
Tacey says the three wolf pups will become part of the Busch Gardens Ambassador Team, which helps teach about the important role wolves play in the wild.
"That gives us a chance to talk about the role wolves, as apex predators, play in their natural habitats -- kind of keeping the eco-system in check. It also gives us an opportunity to talk to the guests about things like the SeaWorld/Busch Gardens Conservation Fund," says Tacey.
Park-goers can see the wolf pups through the Labor Day holiday and on weekends during Howl-o-Scream.
Tacey warns time is running out to see them as pups, noting that they grow fast and begin graying fast. Kaya and Beo's current black coats are already turning gray.
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