Arrow Caretaker

Arrow is a black phase male Gray wolf that was born in the spring of 2009 at a Wildlife Safari Park called Bear Country in South Dakota. He did not come alone, with him were seven other puppies—three litter mates and four Arctic wolf pups that grew up together in the same enclosure at the park. Due to the failing economy, the park had been unable to sell the pups and could no longer house them. A volunteer drove many miles for the transport, and at nearly four months old, the pups arrived at Mission: Wolf in a horse trailer.

Our lead Ambassador Magpie was just coming out of a false pregnancy and had no idea that she was to be a surrogate mom for eight big pups. She and her partner Abe eagerly took them in, but just as the pups started to settle into life, a virus hit and we lost Arrow’s two brothers and one of the Arctic wolf pups. Arrow slowed down a bit, but as one of the bigger pups, he shrugged off the virus and has grown to be one of the larger wolves living at the refuge. At eight months old, he already weighed 116 pounds!

For over a year, he was raised by Abe and Magpie as part of the Ambassador pack. He would sometimes cautiously approach visitors, but never actually allowed anyone to touch him. As he matured, he became a threat to Abe and was in need of his own pack. He lived with Illiamna and Zephir for about a year until Illiamna moved in with Raven. Arrow and Zephir now live together, and the two spend much of their time watching the staff and other wolves as they wander across the wooded hillside they call home.