Did you know that Ambassador wolf Atka has been keeping a journal all his life? In honor of his 12th birthday, we thought it would be fun to take a trip down memory lane and revisit some of his first journal entries.  We hope you enjoy the journey!

May 17, 2002

I was born in Minnesota to Jack and Thelma, two of the few Arctic wolves in captivity. Given my heritage, I’ll undoubtedly have pure white fur when I get older. For now, I have dark fur, weigh less than one pound and I’m just too sleepy to …

May 24, 2002 (one week old)

 
Oh boy, my first plane ride! Too bad I slept through the entire trip to my new home at the WCC. At 2lbs., I was easy to carry in a ferret bag. When I got here, they fed me some delicious stuff. I wanted to bite the nipple right off the bottle and guzzle the whole thing. But, I guess I need teeth for that. Some day! Rumor is the bottle contains goat milk, plain yogurt, egg yolk, beef baby food, rice cereal and unflavored gelatin. Sounds gross but tastes great. Time for a nap.

May 24, 2002 (ten days old)

Hey, while everything’s a bit fuzzy, I’m actually beginning to see things now that my eyes are open. Wonder what these little bumps are in my mouth that make me want to chew on everything?

June 1, 2002 (two weeks old)

Wow! Not only am I seeing things, but I’m also starting to hear things. I even treated myself to a little howl. A bit pathetic, but I’ll work on it. I also discovered that if I concentrate on my legs, I can actually walk versus waddling and crawling all over my mattress and floor.

June 21, 2002 (five weeks old)

 Hey, where’s my formula? Oh, they’ve mixed it with ground chicken, those clever humans. Not bad! I guess at 7lbs. 2oz. I could stand to add a little meat to my diet.

July 4, 2002 (seven weeks old)

 Today I got to play outside all day. What a blast! I ate some green stuff and rolled in everything. Hey world, here I come!

September 10, 2002

 Apache is a ton of fun, even when he’s bossy. It’s weird, but I’m starting to notice that I can’t get away with my “puppy” behavior quite as much anymore. Perhaps I’m not as cute as I think I am? Hah! Who am I kidding!

May 17, 2014

Today I turn 12 years old. Yep, still got it! Good looks, charm, and the ladies loves me!