| Sierra was a shy girl who usually kept to herself. Contact with Sierra was minimal to non-existent due to her introverted behavior. If anyone entered her enclosure, Sierra would normally run the other way. Once she began to know someone, however, Sierra would become much more relaxed about the person wandering around her enclosure. Sierra had the habit of following a good distance behind her caretaker and then sniffing wherever he or she stopped to clean. Sierra lived with her long-time mate, Yukon. The two of them were very sweet with one another, although, personality wise, were almost polar opposites. |
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When Sierra became a "true" mother for the first time in her life, her attitude changed dramatically (at least, during the first couple of weeks after giving birth). The shy girl turned into a protective mother overnight! Never would she leave her babies' sides, not even when a group of the staff and volunteers went in to check on the new family. As the pups grew older, Mom became more relaxed, but still would warn anyone who entered inside her home. Her protective nature was so strong, only a group of two or more could enter inside the enclosure safely. But as the cubs grew more independent, Mom loosened her watch on them and slowly allowed her growing litter to wander around the enclosure, even when their caretaker was inside. Surprisingly, while Mom taught her babies on being wolves, the babies taught Mom about humans! Her kids began to come down to greet their caretaker, and Momma, who use to stay far away, followed a few steps behind them. Unfortunately, Sierra wasn't able to see her kids grow up. Our Momma wolf, to the despair and shock of every volunteer, passed away from a fungus called Cryptococcus when her kids were four months old.
Sierra was an Arctic wolf. She passed away at the age of nine. |
