Rieka following a squirrel up a tree

When we introduced Rieka to the Exhibit Pack in August of 2021, we felt that she was missing some “pup” experiences by joining a pair of 5-year old males (arctic wolves, Axel and Grayson).  The Arctic’s tried to do some social playbows, but Axel got a bit intense and food possessive to give Rieka the feeling of social play.  With the addition of Caz and Blackstone in July 2022, Rieka’s world changed dramatically.  For months, she wrestled, jawsparred, tugged on hides and even tugged on tails as pups are supposed to do.  She even tried to follow a squirrel up a tree, with the support of Caz looking on.  As she approaches her 2nd birthday, we are seeing less pup behaviors and more mature Rieka behaviors. We can’t wait to see her develop into the dominant female leadership role.