Kleia, one of the first litter wolves, was injured early in spring but she recovered within a couple weeks and I've seen no further sign of fleas since the first month of spring. All wonderful news.
I've enjoyed watching the pack flourish--the yearling pups grow so quickly once they start hunting and it's really beautiful to see the next generation coming into their own. The way the pack alphas take on the more challenging duties of stalking and finishing while letting their young pups get a feel for the process chasing is a fascinating development for the pack. It's not necessarily the best technique for maintaining a strong precense in their territory--with inexperienced members taking up so much of the main hunting team the pack hasn't been able to push into locales that might promote their growth--but they seem to be maintaining a balance that is certainly good for the growth of the pups.
Speaking of pups--I've been on the edge of my seat all season to see Puja's latest litter. Sure, I knew given how late in winter they were born that I'd likely be waiting all spring for them to wean, but was I hoping for a peak sooner? Absolutely! I did finally get a look just this last week but I've only seen one pup. It's hard to tell if there are more that haven't weaned yet, if there were more that didn't make it through winter, or if this is the only one, but I should know a little more come summer.
Start of Spring(Mar 21)
Alpha Puja is free of fleas but they spread to Kleon.
Lykos and Puja's first litter continue to grow strong and (though I hope I don't jinx it) the pack has had no trouble staying fed. I can confirm that the one pup I saw in spring is in fact the only pup of the alpha's second litter but the little guy appears healthy. Certainly he gets a lot of attention, being the only pup for the pack to dote upon.
I named the pup Kleon, and he's big enough now to be allowed to wander the rendezvous under the watchful eye of big sister Phile and uncle Yash while his parents and other older siblings hunt. I love watching them play a learn at this age. By next season he'll already be big enough to start accompanying the pack on hunts. They grow up so fast!
Kleon has grown old enough now that he's accompanying his parents and siblings on hunts, strictly to watch of course, and the pack is ranging further from their rendezvous sites in search of game. Kleon is very well-behaved for an adolescent only recently given the freedom to venture so deeply into the pack territory, but then he has no siblings to share in his excitement or goad him into trouble.
Actually, watching him range behind the pack as they hunt makes me feel a little lonely for him. Perhaps he'll learn better without siblings to distract him but it almost feels as though he's had to grow up faster than he would have with a few litter mates to share in his experiences.
Mid Autumn (Month 2)
Nooo, not ear mites again! I'm not over the horror of the last massive infection! Alpha Puja has been showing signs of them for the last couple weeks and it will come as no surprise if they linger among the pack all the way through winter. What terrible timing; I hope the pack does well enough that we still see pups this year (hopefully in spring).
Late Autumn (Month 3)
The top question of the month must of course be what's going on with the ear mites? I can't say I'm too excited for this to be the primary news for the forseeable future BUT here we go: Alpha Puja appears clear but the mites have spread to one of the younger members of alpha team, Kleia. Fortunately, at least in the last couple weeks, Kleia appears to be the only pack member infected but with winter arriving, let's be honest, it's not likely to stay that way.
Start of Autumn(Apr 2)
Kleon grows into an adolescent and begins accompanying the pack on hunts.
Level-ups
Level 15 - Alpha Puja
Level 8 - Phile
Early Autumn(Apr 3)
All is quiet.
Level-ups
Level 10 - Kallisto, Kleia, Aristo
Mid Autumn(Apr 4)
All is quiet.
Deep Autumn(Apr 5)
Alpha Puja picks up ear mites.
Level-ups
Level 15 - Yash
Illnesses
Ear Mites (Can't Hunt) - Alpha Puja
Late Autumn(Apr 6)
Alpha Puja is free of ear mites but they spread to Kleia.
It's a genuine miracle that the ear mites haven't spread beyond Kleia yet this month. It's so uncharacteristically lucky! I probably shouldn't get my hopes up too much but I'm just so surprised I can't help myself.
Mid Winter (Month 2)
High spirits and hope did not go unpunished this month. Kleia has not recovered from the ear mites yet and they've spread to her sister, Kallisto. Kallisto has been training as a stalker in alpha team and while hunting should be fine with Alpha Puja still able to stalk for the team, I do worry a little about what progress Kallisto might lose out on. Her sister Kleia has been falling behind for months now, after all!
And, while Alpha Puja is showing signs of being in heat at an absolutely ideal time this season, Lykos was injured a few weeks ago and has yet to be able to ... uh, you know. I'm hoping for a swift recovery because the window for pups will not be available for long.
Late Winter (Month 3)
Alpha Lykos recovered from his wound early this month and I have high hopes that it means we'll be seeing pups this spring! It's the only real good news I have to record since the ear mites are still plaguing the pack. Here at the end of the month both Kleia and Alpha Puja are infected. Spring is their best chance at being rid of them, however, so I'm keeping my hopes up, for better or worse.
Start of Winter(Apr 8)
All is quiet.
Illnesses
Ear Mites (Can't Hunt) - Kleia
Early Winter(Apr 9)
All is quiet.
Illnesses
Ear Mites (Can't Hunt) - Kleia
Mid Winter(Apr 10)
Alpha Lykos is injured on a hunt.
Illnesses
Ear Mites (Can't Hunt) - Kleia
Open Wound - Alpha Lykos (20 HP)
Deep Winter(Apr 11)
The ear mites spread to Kallisto.
Level-ups
Level 16 - Alpha Puja
Level 12 - Aristo
Illnesses
Ear Mites (Can't Hunt) - Kleia, Kallisto
Open Wound - Alpha Lykos (14 HP)
Late Winter(Apr 12)
Alpha Lykos recovers from his wound.
Kallisto is free of ear mites however they spread to Alpha Puja.
Level-ups
Level 12 - Kallisto
Level 10 - Phile
Illnesses
Ear Mites (Can't Hunt) - Kleia, Alpha Puja
End of Winter(Apr 13)
Ear mites spread to Alpha Lykos and Kallisto. (Aristo is left to hunt alone on alpha team.)
The sole pup of the litter from last spring is large enough now to hunt! Kleon has had quite a lot of attention from the pack this last year and has now joined alpha team to study more closely from his experienced parents. As a result, Kleia is now hunting with beta team while Kleon's talented older siblings, Kallisto and Aristo remain on alpha team.
The ear mites have yet to clear from the pack although I'm seeing an increased rate of recovery among the wolves; unfortunately it's just not enough to stay ahead of the spread.
Mid Spring (Month 2)
Puja is tucked away in a den as of a few weeks ago and I believe we have another litter of pups to look forward to! Hopefully we see more this time than the last litter but I'm so happy they were born in spring! They won't likely wean until summer so look forward to meeting them, then!
The ear mites are also dwindling this month. Currently only the alpha, Lykos, is infected which is incredible after having seven members still infected at the end of last month. Fingers crossed these pests don't stick with us for another year!
Late Spring (Month 3)
My hopes may be dashed--Lykos did recover from the mites this month but now Kallisto is showing signs of them which means they didn't completely clear out by the end of spring. There's still a chance we won't be stuck with them for the whole year but every step toward winter makes it less and less likely. Hopefully the infection doesn't spread to the new pups!
Start of Spring(Apr 14)
Kleia and Alpha Puja are free of ear mites but they spread to Aristo and Phile.
Kleon begins hunting with alpha team and Kleia joins beta team.
By some stroke of luck the ear mites cleared from the pack this month. Perhaps it was some advantage of spring weather hanging on just a little longer into summer but I'm happy regardless--they are such a pain to the pack and truly such a pain to me to have to record, as well.
Aristo, one of the alphas first-litter pups and a remaining member of alpha hunting team was injured a couple weeks ago and is suffering with an open wound and I've noticed that Alpha Puja's littermate, and one of the senior members of the pack, Yash, is also looking pretty rough. We're not into the hard season yet so I'm not too worried, but the fact that I don't know the source of Yash's weakness is a little concerning.
Most importantly, the pups weaned this month! I've seen four wandering outside the den and Puja has returned to hunting with alpha team. They are always such cute little buggers. I'll share more once I've had a better look at them.
Mid Summer (Month 2)
Aristo collapsed on a hunt this month and passed away. Wounds aren't usually so bad but he went downhill so fast... Kleia rejoined alpha team to take his place but with Kleon only recently incorporated into the team they're cooperation is still a little clunky.
Yash isn't looking much better and I suspect now that he may be suffering from some kind of severe infection which unfortunately means we're likely to lose him, too, whenever his body finally gives out.
And on top of it all it looks like one of the pups is sick. She's doing an aweful lot of coughing and I'd hate to see something like that spread among her siblings, or the rest of the pack.
Late Summer (Month 3)
What a swing this month! After the loss of Aristo and Yash's declining condition and one of the pups sick I was all but in apocalypse mode again. But the pup recovered with no real ill effects and no spread. Yash also made a miraculous comeback this last week after he had grown so weak I didn't expect him to see autumn. I can't do anything but be glad.
Now, with the pups a couple months older, I can finally introduce them! There are two females and two males. So far the largest is a black female with cream unders I've named Circe, followed by the other female, an ashen grey with suble cream unders and odd subtle 'stripes' down her back I've named Antheia. Next, the boys; first a dark brown with subtle pale ticking down his back named Ajax and then another grey, also with those unusual stripes, named Eros. They are all healthy and strong, and barring any illness or injury I expect they will all do well within the pack.
There is little to report this season which, as usual, is a good thing though not so interesting to read or write about.
Although Yash appeared to have made a recovery last season I saw him slowly decline again over the last couple months. He doesn't appear to be in any sort of danger yet, or that is to say that I don't think we're going to lose him soon, but I certainly expect winter to be hard on him. I think we're likely to lose him before the next spring.
The pups are growing big and they started accompanying the adults on hunts this season. None of them are focusing on any particular role (as has been the case with some growing litters in the past) so I imagine they will be well-suited (it not well-prepared) to pick up any role needed once they turn yearlings. Thus far Circe remains the largest of them though the other three of her siblings remain so close in size it's any guess how they might sort out rank as they get older.
As I suspected, the winter hit Yash fiercly, and he was looking pretty bad even in just the first couple weeks of winter. By some miracle though, he recovered again toward the end of the first month of winter and so far he hasn't taken a turn for the worse. I'm not sure how he managed to make such a recovery but it looks like the old fellow will be sticking with the pack for a while yet.
Meanwhile Lykos was injured toward the end of the first month of winter, promptly recovered within a couple weeks and then was injured again just a couple weeks ago! With spring approaching I have high hopes that he'll recover soon (though I admit there's a bit of fear in the pit of my stomach over an injured alpha) but equally problematic as that, once again, his injury is preventing him from breeding. It's hard to say exactly how long Puja's heat might last, they are usually only a couple months, but now rather than an early winter litter the pack risks a late litter in spring if they manage one at all.
And with spring approaching and pups on the brain, I'm sorry to report that one of the pack wolves, Phile, a subordinant member of the alphas' first litter, is showing symptoms of pox. It's not immediately dangerous to her, but there is a risk of spread, and if it manages to infect pups it will unfortunately kill them. I've got a lot of things to hope for this coming spring and if I'm being honest it all feels like a little bit too much. Is it possible the pack will get lucky enough to clear up all the illness and injuries and also produce a litter safely this spring?
