A wildlife park is celebrating the birth of a litter of Eurasian wolf pups - the first to be born at the park in 47 years.

The curators at Cotswold Wildlife Park in Oxfordshire recently welcomed the surprise arrival of five mischievous pups and have released a heart-warming video of the adorable fluffballs frolicking in the woods.

The park's mammal keepers weren't expecting a breeding success quite so soon as wolves can take a long time to bond and females only come into season once a year.

Wolves generally pair for life. After a gestation period of approximately sixty-two days, the alpha female gives birth to a litter (usually between four and six cubs).

At birth, the pups are born blind and deaf and are reliant on their parents for survival. After eleven to fifteen days, their eyes open. Cubs develop rapidly under the watchful eye of their mother.

At five weeks, the pups are beginning to wean off their mother's milk but cannot immediately fend for themselves and require considerable parental care and nourishment.


The pups are the first to be born at the park in 47 years, prompting excitement in the area and among wildlife lovers