April 27^th marked the arrival of baby Arctic Wolves At Zoo Vienna. The cubs are now ready to leave the den from time to time for short excursions into the outside world. “Like in the wild, mother Inja raises her young in a burrow where they cannot be observed. Up to now, five young animals have been spotted outside the den. Only time will tell if they will all survive.” explains the zoo’s director, Dagmar Schratter.

Photo credits: Lead image, Schönbrunn zoo/Norbert Potensky. All otehrs by Daniel Zupanc

At about two weeks old, the cubs began to open their eyes. Now curiosity is starting to get the better of them. Unlike the adult animals, they still have brown fur. Schratter: “Arctic Wolves have white fur, which is very conspicuous in the zoo enclosure. In their native environment, the northern regions of North America, Greenland and the Arctic their colour blends in almost totally with the snowy landscape and is the ideal camouflage with which they are almost invisible to their prey.”

See many more photos below the fold...