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Our Wolves

Inapa

Biography

Inapa was born in the spring on April 26, 2007.  She is a beautiful, lively red wolf born into a multi-generational pack consisting of her parents, Tala and Durham, and yearling siblings, Rufus and Meoquanee.  Rufus has since been transferred to the Northeastern Wisconsin Zoo, where he was placed with a mate.  Meoquanee has moved to Miller Park Zoo in Bloomington, Illinois where she also was paired with a mate.  Rufus and Meoquanee were very lucky to be with their parents when Inapa was born.  They learned valuable lessons watching their parents give birth to and raise Inapa.  Inapa was the only pup born in 2007 to Tala and Durham. 

      The name Inapa is Lakota Sioux for “one who has overcome hardship”.  The name is very fitting because when Inapa was very young she suffered a potentially fatal injury.  In July of 2007, keepers found Inapa inside the feeding area with a sever injury to her front left leg.  She was rushed to the Saint Louis Zoo where she received world class veterinary care.  Unfortunately due to potential infection the entire leg had to be amputated.  She stayed at the zoo for recovery and healed remarkable fast, she learned very quickly how to walk and maneuver with only three legs.  After her return from the zoo, she was housed with her mother to continue to her recovery.  She was then reunited with her sister, Meoquanee, and then all three moved back to the enclosure she was born in.  The source of her injury was never discovered.  Durham and Rufus were moved to another enclosure as they were scheduled to be moving to other facilities.  In the summer of 2007, Durham was vasectomized then reunited with Tala and Inapa instead of moving.  The transition went well and they have seemed to be enjoying each other’s company ever since. 

      Inapa is very shy of people, it is often very difficult for visitors to find her in her large enclosure; she likes to hide in the far back corner under a tree until everyone leaves the area.  Her coat color allows her to blend into the leaf litter on the ground so she is barely noticeable.

      In March of 2009, Tala her mother passed away at the age of 12 years due to pyometria, which is an infection in the lining of the uterus.  And sadly in May of 2010, Durham her father, passed away at the age of 15.  We hope to receive a new companion for Inapa sometime in the summer or fall of 2010. 

      Inapa seems to be adjusting to life on her own just fine.  She can often be seen lying in a cozy spot next to her favorite tree.