Minnesota Zoo Welcomes Young Wolf Pack
A young pack of gray wolves will soon move onto the Medtronic Minnesota Trail.
Following the retirement of the Zoo’s senior wolf pack in October, four siblings will move into the habitat in November after renovations are completed.
The littermates were born April 24, 2025. Two males – Flint and Fenrir – and two females – Lumi and Hati – were all given Northern names appropriate to the North American and European range of gray wolves (Canis lupus). Flint is a nod to the Gunflint Trail in Minnesota. Lumi is the Finnish word for snow. Fenrir and Hati are both wolf figures from Norse mythology.
The siblings arrived at the Zoo in July after being rehomed from a private facility.
Now at 6 months of age, they more closely resemble adult wolves than pups. But Zoo guests will soon see the wolves’ behavior is quite juvenile. When they’re not napping, the siblings are constantly playing, tumbling into piles, exploring, chasing, and chewing.
Animal Health and Animal Care staff have helped the wolves acclimate behind the scenes and prepare to live on the Minnesota Trail. Over the months, the young wolves have been learning skills so they can participate in their own health care, like leaning against a barrier so staff can safely examine them. They know how to step on a scale, which has revealed they’ve quadrupled in weight since their arrival. The brothers are now as large as a female adult wolf – with still more growing to do.
Flint is named for the Gunflint Trail in Northern Minnesota. He is the largest of the siblings.
Lumi’s name means “snow” in Finnish. She is the most reserved of the pack.
Big Paws and Personalities
Zookeeper Adam Keniger is one of the wolves’ primary caregivers. He’s closely observed their individual personalities and the pack dynamic over the past months.
Wolves are highly social animals, he notes. In the past, wildlife biologists had the conception of an “alpha wolf” that dominates the rest of the pack members. The alpha wolf theory is now dismissed as a myth.
“With every wolf pack we’ve had at the Zoo, we witness that the family groups are driven by cooperation not competition,” Keniger says. “The relationships are cooperative, dynamic and respectful. We don’t see subservience or domination.”
Of the four, he says Flint is showing signs of maturing from “puppyhood to full wolfdom.” In addition to being the largest, Flint is the most independent and “has decided all things are his.”
Fenrir (pictured at top of page) is playful and loves to run and chase his siblings. “I’d call him the Big Brother who kind of crashes and bashes his way into the others,” Keniger says.
Lumi is reserved, patient, and calmer than the rest, he says. “She has a lovely personality. I think of her as the ‘Quiet Reader’ type.”
In true “Little Sister” fashion, Hati is small but mighty.
“She’s energetic and noisy,” Keniger says. “Hati’s the cheerleader who rouses the group and communicates ‘pick me, pick me’ during playtime.”
All the siblings are getting more vocal as they grow up, though their howling is still a work in progress.
Keniger recommends timing your visit for the first Wednesday of the month at 1 p.m. That’s when the county tests the outdoor warning sirens – and the wolves and coyotes often answer.
Hati is the little sister with the big personality. She’s named after a wolf figure in Norse mythology.
Hungry as a Wolf
To nourish their rapidly growing bodies, the wolves eat a diverse diet, including meat, vegetables, and whole prey like quail. They chew on large knuckle bones which is important for maintaining healthy teeth.
Their big appetites extend even to toys.
“They’ve destroyed supposedly indestructible toys,” Keniger says. “So, we’re giving them a break from toys to keep them safe.”
They have the youthful drive to chew on everything, a habit they may outgrow. But trees in their habitat will be wrapped to prevent them from gnawing on the bark.
Ambassadors for Wild Wolves
Like the senior pack before them, the siblings will help convey the vital role of wolves in an ecosystem. Keniger notes the presence of wolves in the wild leads to greater biodiversity: more songbirds, more beneficial plants, and a sustainable population of deer.
Gray wolves were nearly driven to extinction by humans and habitat loss. In Minnesota, they are a federally protected threatened species and are classified as endangered throughout almost all other parts of their range in the United States. Thanks to conservation efforts and decades-long scientific studies, Minnesota has always maintained a wild wolf population and is a model for other areas, Keniger says.
Preparing for the Pack
Before the new pack moves into Wolf Woods, Zoo staff are busy refreshing the habitat that originally opened in 2007. Horticulturalists are planting new trees, removing dead trees, and controlling weeds. The Grounds crew is using skid-steers to fill in dens dug by the senior pack, while Maintenance staff are updating the exterior of the log cabin.
“It’s truly an amazing team effort to get ready for the wolves,” Keniger says.
Once the renovations are complete, he expects they will give the wolves several days to adjust behind the scenes on the Minnesota Trail before they move into the public habitat.
Follow @mnzoo on Facebook and Instagram, and subscribe to the Zoo’s newsletter for the announcement of their debut.
Support Expert Animal Care at the Minnesota Zoo
Help welcome Flint, Fenrir, Lumi and Hati to the Zoo when you purchase a commemorative wolf plush. Not only will you receive your own pint-sized version of the Zoo’s newest animals, but your purchase includes a donation that will help the Zoo provide expert care to animals like our newest pack.
Your donation includes:
An 8-inch plush wolf
A custom certificate with your selected wolf's name
A donation that supports animal care at the Zoo
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