So you heard the good news. Puzzles has her new pups!
She’s been den bound since Monday tending to her little ones in a cave in the hills. I won’t get to see these little guys for at least another 10 days or so. Right now their eyes will still be closed and they’re hardly mobile.
Puzzles’ last years litter have now just reached a new status. They’re not pups anymore, but subadults. And they’re just as keen as I am to see their new brothers and sisters. But each time they try to approach the den, Puzzles screams blue murder and growls at them.
They have to stay away for a while. She’ll be protective of them for at least the next couple of weeks.
Right now Puzzles’ is not out hunting at all and totally dependent on the rest of the pack to provide her with food. They should be more than capable, considering Jiggy had to do this last year all on his own!
I’m spending all my time at the den too, familiarising Puzzles with my presence. She seems amazingly relaxed and even more so than when she was pregnant. Maybe she herself now doesn’t feel as vulnerable having lost all that weight.
It’s a great time for me too, to have Lindy and Penny there. They’re of course dying to see the little ones. It’s also the ideal opportunity to get them fully conversant in cameras and how they work. Lindy has for the first time been videoing me with my camera. AND doing pretty well at it!
That was fascinating Kim - what good kids they are! Always knew that parents regurgitated for pups and would have expected Jiggy to regurgitate for Puzzles but had not figured the pups would do so.Clearly they understand their new role as subadults.You learn something new every day…..
Like yourself and everybody else hooking into Wildcast, can’t wait to see ‘em.
WOW !
She got some set of vocal cords !!
Very interesting Kim. ” Natures way ” you got to love it!!
Will be watching to see the new pups…………..
Gotta be impressed with those brand-new sub-adults!! Hasn’t been that long since they were still chasing Mom and Dad off of kills, even if they were stuffed. It is so interesting to see all of her maneuvers, getting under them to prevent them from walking off, and didn’t know the licking of the lips actually brought up the meal. And to think Jiggy by his lonesome did all this for ten hungry tums! Great parents, indeed.
It’s going to be superb to see how the sub-a’s respond to the puppies the first time, if we’re so lucky!
It is so fascinating to watch the interaction of the whole pack with one another. What wonderful animals! You are so lucky to be part of this life.
That’s a sound I hadn’t expected to hear!! I’ve heard all the various sounds they make hunting, playing and calling. This one was yet another. This is going to be exciting waiting for the pups to emerge. You’ve done a great job habituating them to you.