28th May 2023

The day was warm and sunny, with the Arctics keeping an eye on proceedings as the volunteers arrived. A quick rundown of the plans followed, then it was off with the Beenhams.

All three were keen to head out and about, sniffing around in the strong May sunshine. As is often the case, Nuka was full of beans and soon managed to find some rubbish that was concealed from view... a reminder of how strong a wolf's sense of smell is! He soon dropped it and the walk continued, into the top field where the old Ford tractor is stored. The wolves found some enticing smells almost as soon as they entered the field, pawing at the ground and then rolling all over. Nuka left his two sisters rolling away and had a good look at the trailer, the meadow-topper (used to cut the grass) and of course the tractor itself. He rubbed exuberantly along the large tyres... he loves the smell of the rubber!

We then headed off to the pond, where Nuka had a quick paddle. He looked as if he'd rather have ploughed through to the other side, but as we didn't fancy a swim he was encouraged back the way he came. The rest of the walk was uneventful, with the wolves all enjoying themselves.

The wolves were fed once we were back: the usual mix of chicken, beef and paunch. Motomo kept his distance while food was thrown over the fence for him (he ate leisurely once we'd moved away), while the Arctics were as keen as usual for their food.

An enclosure visit followed, with Tundra and Tala coming over for a fuss; Nuka preferred to watch things from afar. Once the visit was over, there was a special treat for the Beenhams: they were given a few sprats. The wolves love the pungent tiny fish and it was a case of "blink and you'll miss it", so keen were they to eat them!

Photos include some by Eve (taken earlier in May). Walk photos by Sean and Tsa.