Zephir
Female Artic Wolf
Born on April 14, 2009 at Bear Country, South Dakota
Arrived at Mission: Wolf on July 20, 2009
Passed away on September 8, 2022
Lived with Arrow
Zephir’s Story
Zephir is a female Arctic wolf that was born in the spring of 2009 at Bear Country, a wildlife safari park in South Dakota. She came to Mission: Wolf with her three litter mates and four grey wolf pups who had been raised in the same enclosure. Due to the failing economy, the park had been unable to sell the two litters and no longer had room to house them. At nearly four months of age, they arrived at Mission: Wolf in a horse trailer.
Our lead Ambassadors, Magpie and Abe, eagerly took the pups in. Just as they all began to settle into life at the refuge, tragedy struck, and the pups became ill with parvovirus. Two died in front of us and a third on her way to the vet. Zephir slowed down a bit, but as one of the bigger pups, she shrugged off the virus herself and has grown to be one of the larger females living at the refuge.
As she aged, it became clear Zephir needed her own space and was moved into a large secluded enclosure with one of the gray wolves, Arrow. The two were reticent around humans but loved to oversee the comings and goings of visitors. Zephir passed away from old age September 8, 2023. Arrow currently oversees his enclosure alone.