Our Ambassador Wolves
Linnea
Linnea and her siblings (Grendel, Nevaeh, Arrow, and Argus) were born in April of 2011 to Loki and Loki Sioux at Wolf Creek Habitat in Indiana. In early May they made their journey to Massachusetts.
Linnea looks a lot like her late brother, Argus, which made them difficult to tell apart at first. Her face is more angular and slender, giving her a more feminine look. When she was younger she was a lower ranking wolf, always kissing up to the higher ranks and fit right into the role of the peacemaker of the pack. She could hold her own when she needed to and worked well in the pack.
In 2015 after the passing of our dominant pair (Weeble and Nina) Linnea was being bullied by her sister Nevaeh. The decision was made to give Linnea her own enclosure where she could gain confidence and be the queen of her domain. After 18 months she started showing signs of anxiety, being lonely and needing companionship from other wolves. Seeing that Argus was having issues of his own while living in the main pack, he moved back in with Linnea. They were the best of friends, often zooming around their enclosure together. It was beautiful to see them play together and enjoy one another's company.
After Argus' passing in February of 2023, Linnea was alone in her enclosure once more, and we decided to move her brother Grendel into her enclosure with her. The two bonded and Linnea brought out the more lighthearted side of Grendel for the last few months of his life until he passed in July of 2023.
Linnea is the last remaining out of her siblings, and all staff members are sure to spoil her and make sure she is receiving enough enrichment both physically and mentally. She is on some medication for arthritis, but besides that, she is living her senior years to the fullest! Linnea is affectionate, social, and very sassy by nature with a very vibrant personality!
Qantaqa
Qantaqa was born to Lakota and Sura on May 6th, 2018 at Triple D Ranch in Montana.
Later in the month, along with her two brothers (Akela and Skully), Qantaqa made the journey to Wolf Hollow. She was named by our staff veterinarian after a female wolf in her favorite book series.
Qantaqa has grown into an intelligent and majestic adult female wolf. She is very easy to tell apart from her brother Akela as she is much more petite in size and has a more slender face. Qantaqa is full of personality and is affectionate with those who she trusts. She adores her human caretakers that she feels comfortable with and loves to roll over for belly rubs. Qantaqa does have boundaries that we've learned as she grows older, and she has no problem letting staff know when she's a bit overstimulated!
In June 2022, Qantaqa became an adoptive mom to Vilkas, Togo, and Skadi. Upon seeing the pups in a through the fence meetup, Qantaqa immediately wanted to be near the puppies, and was whimpering and wagging her tail. The puppies met Qantaqa first, and she allowed them to jump, nip, lick and pull at her, all while she scoped them out excitedly. She also regurgitated food for them, which was an amazing sign that she instinctively wanted to care for Vilkas, Togo and Skadi. Shortly after, the puppies moved into the main enclosure with Qantaqa and her brother Akela as their adoptive parents. Qantaqa has proven to be a stern but loving adoptive mom. She has no problem correcting her pups, and will often serve as a buffer if two of the siblings are having a little too heated of a discussion, and can be seen enjoying a nap with the pack under their favorite tree.
Qantaqa is the second smallest wolf in her enclosure, but is typically the boss, and the other wolves in the enclosure show her love and respect. She's extremely intelligent, and those who know her well respect and admire her for exactly who she is.
Akela
Akela was born to Lakota and Sura on May 6th, 2018 at Triple D Ranch in Montana.
Later in the month, along with his siblings (Qantaqa and Skully), Akela made the journey to Wolf Hollow. He was named by staff during a naming contest after the dominant male wolf in the Jungle Book.
Akela has grown into a very confident adult wolf. He is quite regal in appearance and his overall aura. He has beautiful cheek ruffs and has a large head to match. Akela is often very exuberant when he greets his human caretakers and is extremely affectionate and loving. He looks very much like his sister Qantaqa but has a broader face and is larger in size.
In June 2022, Akela became an adoptive dad to Vilkas, Togo, and Skadi. Upon seeing the three puppies in a supervised meet, Akela's paternal instincts kicked in and he regurgitated his food to try and provide food for Vilkas, Togo and Skadi. Shortly after, the puppies moved into the main enclosure with Akela and his sister Qantaqa as their adoptive parents. Akela has proven to be a playful adoptive dad, oftentimes letting the pups hang all over him in the first year of their life. We've seen Akela be a teacher to the pups as well, correcting them when necessary and being firm, but patient.
Akela is a cool, confident and relaxed wolf and seems to go along for the ride in most situations!
Skully
Skully was born to Lakota and Sura on May 6th, 2018 at Triple D Ranch in Montana.
Later that same month Skully, along with his two siblings Akela and Qantaqa, made the journey to Massachusetts. Skully was named by our Assistant Director's son, Otto (who was very into pirates at the time).
Skully has grown into an impressive large, black phase adult wolf. With a personality as big as he is, Skully is often considered one of the most playful wolves at Wolf Hollow. Skully and his brother Akela made the decision in the winter of 2019 that they no longer wanted to live together, a behavior common in wolves of their age both in the wild and captivity (often called dispersing). Wolves being a highly social animal, we knew that Skully would soon need a companion and as fortune would have it, there was a young wolf-dog hybrid in New York in need of a home and friend.
In December of 2019 Gaia arrived at Wolf Hollow. In their first introduction it was clear that Skully and Gaia were going to be great friends. Separated by a layer of fence (as an initial precaution) they sniffed at each other, both full of curiosity and excitement that quickly turned into play bows and games of chase. Now living together their playful friendship has grown into a great companionship, both enriching the other's life.
Gaia
Gaia's exact birthday is unknown but she is estimated to have been born in the winter/spring of 2019.
In August of 2019 Gaia was found as a stray and brought into an animal shelter in NY state. A dedicated staff member at the shelter quickly suspected that Gaia was more than just a dog and submitted her DNA to be tested. When the results came back their suspicion was more than confirmed with Gaia testing at 87% wolf. As wolf-dog hybrids are illegal to own in New York, very rarely doing well in a home environment, the shelter set about finding a sanctuary with wolf-dog experience for Gaia's new forever home.
Around the same time, one of our young male wolves, Skully, had to be separated from his siblings as he no longer got along with his brother Akela. Luckily for Gaia, Skully needed a companion to live the rest of his life with.
In December of 2019 Gaia arrived at Wolf Hollow. In their first introduction it was clear that Skully and Gaia were going to be great friends. Separated by a layer of fence (as an initial precaution) they sniffed at each other, both full of curiosity and excitement that quickly turned into play bows and games of chase. Now living together their playful friendship has grown into a great companionship, both enriching the other's life.
Initially very shy around humans, her time with Skully and some volunteers she's "claimed" as her favorites, we have seen Gaia grow into a goofy, affectionate, all-around sweetheart.
*As an organization, Wolf Hollow does not support the breeding or ownership of wolf-dog hybrids as pets. Each year thousands of hybrids find themselves at shelters and rescue organizations across the country facing uncertainty and possible euthanasia. The ownership of hybrids has been made illegal in MA and many other states.
Skadi
Skadi was born to Luna and Thunder on April 26th, 2022 at Plumpton Park Zoo in Maryland.
In late June of 2022, along with her siblings (Vilkas and Togo) Skadi made the journey to Wolf Hollow. In Norse mythology, Skadi is the goddess of Winter, and as an Arctic Wolf, the name is fitting!
Skadi is the most timid of her siblings, oftentimes hanging back and watching a situation before acting on it. She loves staff members who she is comfortable with, and is extremely observant. Skadi is smaller than her siblings, with a more narrow face than Togo and Vilkas, and her coloring is a bit lighter. At a young age while her brothers would be in a deep sleep after a meal and playtime, Skadi would take short naps, often opening her eyes at a new sound or movement and keeping an eye on her territory.
As she grows older, Skadi has grown more confident and social with her enclosure mates as well as her human caretakers. She still isn't the first to run up and socialize, but she's usually not too far behind her brothers!
Vilkas
Vilkas was born to Luna and Thunder on April 26th, 2022 at Plumpton Park Zoo in Maryland.
In late June of 2022, along with his siblings (Togo and Skadi) Vilkas made the journey to Wolf Hollow. Vilkas means “wolf” in Lithuanian. Vilkas, Togo and Skadi's mother is originally from Lithuania.
Vilkas is the adventurer of his siblings, being the first puppy to explore the entire main enclosure upon their first introduction to their new home. Vilkas is the largest out of his three siblings, and has a broader face and the thickest coat of fur out of the three. Vilkas and Togo can be tough to tell apart, but as they’ve grown older, Vilkas' broad face and eye shape set him apart from his siblings. Vilkas enjoys his independence, but seems to be growing more social with the staff members he knows and trusts.
Togo
Togo was born to Luna and Thunder on April 26th, 2022 at Plumpton Park Zoo in Maryland.
In late June of 2022, along with his siblings (Vilkas and Skadi) Togo made the journey to Wolf Hollow. He was named by staff during a naming contest after Togo, the lead sled dog in the 1925 serum run across central and northern Alaska. In the Ewe language, Togo translates to “Behind the River,” which is very fitting, as wolves have helped to change the ecosystems (including rivers) that they are a part of. And Togo loves to play in the water!
Togo is the most social out of the three siblings, excitedly greeting volunteers and getting right up to the fenceline during presentations. Togo is a bit smaller than his brother Vilkas and with a bit of a more narrow face, but the two are very close in size and appearance. Togo is the resident goofball of the main enclosure, and has a playful and loving personality. He adores his human caretakers and loves attention and affection from everyone!