The Creation of the Wolf...

Mating season for the Wolves is well under way. Wolves only breed one time of year and this takes place anywhere from January through April with the alpha female having only 5-7 days of estrus. When this takes place, the alpha pair may move out of their pack temporarily to prevent interruption from other pack members. Almost all of the time, the alpha pair is the only pair to mate, avoiding over population.

When the pair are about to mate, they bond, sleeping close, they greet each other making quiet whining sounds, bump their bodies together and various other bonding gestures. As the courtship progresses the male can smell the readiness of his mate, his tongue will flick in and out, testing the air for traces of her sex hormones. If she happens to not be ready to breed, she will deny the male with snapping of her jaw and growling.

Once the breeding process begins, an actual physical tie occurs caused by the swelling of the males penis and constriction in the females vaginal wall. After about five minutes the male stops, twists around so the two are end to end. This is where the actual exchange of sperm takes place. The two can remain tied together for up to a half hour!

After the mating process, the pair continues to be affectionate. Wolves do often have long lasting bonds with their mates, but if one wolf passes, the widowed mate may breed with another wolf. Also, some wolves bond to different females of the pack in different years, destroying the myth that they "mate for life". It is an interesting process to learn about and we are fortunate enough to witness the entire process with our captive wolves! We get film and photography requests for "breeding interaction between wolves". Our wolves are not shy and will go through the motions with or without an audience present! This makes for great wolf footage that is rarely captured in the wild.