Throw back your head and let out a long celebratory birthday howl for Nikai! Welcome to the terrific twos, kiddo! The Wolf Conservation Center‘s youngest Ambassador has been an inspiration from his adorable start. Within a month of joining the WCC family the little beast huffed, puffed, and hiccuped his way into the hearts and minds of a global audience. His viral video “Wolf Pup Hiccups” almost broke the internet!

Today the stunning ambassador continues to awe and help open the door to understanding wolves by forging a connection between the public and his wild kin. Although he remains a “ladies man,” having yet to completely outgrow his uneasiness around men, his trepidation is natural and his behavior offers WCC guests a glimpse of how elusive wolves naturally are.

Physically Nikai is no longer the baby of the family; he has become equal in stature to older siblings Alawa and Zephyr. He does, however, remain the “child” within the family hierarchy. Zephyr is the self-appointed leader of the family – expressing his status with erect posture and tail carried high. Most of the time Nikai exhibits his lower position through submissive/puppy-like behavior. With lowered tail and posture, he acknowledges his role and rank in the family order. He is often pawing, tucking his tail, and licking the muzzles of his siblings – some of the natural submissive gestures expressed by less dominant wolves. However, during the winter months Nikai did test Zephyr. He incessantly egged on his older brother until the two had it out while Alawa wisely steered clear of the mayhem. Thankfully it took only a few bumps and scratches to return peace and order to the pack with Zephyr at the helm once again.

So a new chapter opens for our Ambassador trio. And what an honor to watch the family transition into such powerful players in the fight to preserve wolves’ rightful place in the environment.

Help support the Wolf Conservation Center‘s efforts to protect and preserve wolf populations in North America by adopting the birthday boy! We offer several adoption levels. No matter what the level, each adoption kit includes an 8×10 wolf photo, wolf biography, adoption certificate and a subscription to our newsletter. Learn more.

Happy Birthday, Nikai!