Five orphaned wolf pups are safe and sound thanks to Alaskan firefighters who rescued the litter from a den near a massive forest fire Tuesday.
According to the Alaska Dispatch, firefighters heard yipping noises coming from a den. Alaska Department of Fish and Game officials determined the pups' parents would not return due to the severity of the forest fire.
Officials found five pups, four males and one female, who appeared dehydrated and injured from porcupine quills. One other pup had already died from its wounds.
"Nap time is only interrupted by meal time."
"The pups are about two weeks old and are fed every three hours. On Thursday they downed 50 grams of puppy formula." (Via KTUU)
But those adorable pups are now being cared for at the Alaska Zoo, where they will remain for the next few months until state wildlife officials can find them a permanent home.
Zoo officials say the pups have been eating and seem to be responding well to antibiotics, but these next months are important. (Via KTVA)
"We're always on the lookout for more quills, giving them full body checks looking for those. That's a real serious problem because it could be life-threatening, and quills don't show up on x-rays." (Via KTBY)
The fire had raged on since Monday last week and forced many residents in the area to evacuate. The exact cause has yet to be determined. (Via YouTube / FBCFilms)
As for the pups, they will not be released back into the wild. Many zoos and sanctuaries around the U.S. have shown interest in taking them all together once they are healthy.
