Grizzer, a Great Plains subspecies of the gray wolf, was born on May 5, 2004. He is a littermate to Maya and has matured into a strong and big (120+ lb) adult male. He was removed from the Exhibit Pack in March 2011 after the tragic loss of his littermate, Maya. It was determined that Grizzer had been losing confidence in his status and without the dominance of his littermate, he couldn’t compete with the younger packmates.

During the summer of 2011, an additional habitat was created to allow Grizzer more space and to interact with the other wolves through the fences.  Grizzer welcomed many former pack members into retirement and outlived them all.   Grizzer was euthanized on Jan. 27, 2022 after a short decline.  The necropsy report revealed a likely cause of congestive heart failure at 17 1/2 years of age.

For more information on our ambassador wolves, watch extended wolf videos on the International Wolf Center’s YouTube Channel or enjoy a close-up of wolf behavior on our Wolf Watch Cams.