Milwaukee County Zoo - Wolf Awareness Day

Mom and her zoo buddies Sashi and Zina went to the Milwaukee County Zoo today to check out the wolf awareness day activities. They had great weather and a great time hanging out with the animals. The Milwaukee County Zoo is truly a great place to spend the day.

The Milwaukee County Zoo has a pack of four gray wolves. The wolves live in a habitat called Wolf Woods and it is flanked by wooden walkways that visitors can stroll on while observing the wolves. There is also an indoor exhibit area where visitors can view the wolves while staying warm and where they can learn about wolves and wolf conservation.

The wolf is the largest member of the canine family. This is my family - I am a canine! As the ancestor of the domestic dog (me again), the gray wolf resembles German shepherds or malamutes. They eat large hoofed mammals like elk, deer, moose, and caribou. They also eat beaver and rabbits. Mom and company got to see the wolves in Milwaukee find frozen rabbits that were hidden in their habitat by zoo keepers. One of the wolves got a frozen rabbit out of a tree stump and brought it right over to where they were standing. The wolf proceeded to bury the rabbit - maybe saving it for a midnight snack. I never bury my food - I eat it as soon as it hits my bowl.

There are about 7,000 to 11,000 wolves in Alaska and more than 5,000 in the lower 48 states. Wolves are also found outside of the U.S. with more than 200,000 estimated in 57 countries.

The Defenders of Wildlife website says that the biggest threat to wolves is conflict with people over livestock losses, but mom tells me that the biggest threat is Sarah Palin. Please visit their website at http://www.defenders.org/ to learn how you can help protect these awesome animals. The wolves depend on us for their survival, so don't let them down.

Also, if you are in the Milwaukee area, check out the zoo. There are lots of great animals there besides the wolves like the orangutans, bonobos, penguins, cheetahs, and lots of snakes. If you can't make it to the zoo, visit them online at http://www.milwaukeezoo.org/.