The Magnetic Hill Zoo in Moncton has adopted two new friends for their lone wolf.
Siku the Arctic wolf has been alone in his enclosure since his mate died in August 2021.
The zoo’s director, Jill Marvin, says Siku is unable to breed. They brought in two wolves from the Toronto Zoo to form a new wolf pack.
“An Arctic wolf is a social species. So to be able to meet his needs, it is being in a social group. These two females will help him to exercise his natural behaviours as best as he can under human care,” said Marvin.
His new friends, Valentina and Viola, are in a separate enclosure while they get to know each other. This will ensure a smooth transition.
In the meantime, the zoo held its first Sunday winter opening fundraiser. Those who braved the snow were able to see the zoo’s winter-hardy animals, such as Siku, the otters and caribou.
“We were just excited to come and see them. They look big and healthy, their fur is so fluffy the kids are really excited to see them,” said visitor Natasha Belbraouate.
Money raised at the winter openings goes toward creating better habitats for the animals.
“For example in 2018, we took a very small habitat that Siku was in before, and we basically made it three and a half times bigger to give them a full range of motion for a group to work together,” explained Marvin.