New baby wolves born in the Schönbrunn zoo

Five wolf cubs are the latest addition to the Schönbrunn zoo in Vienna this spring.

The wolves are now several weeks old and have gradually been wondering more and more outside their underground lair.

Wolf pups have their eyes closed for two weeks after they are born and are defenceless during that time.

Zoo director Dagmar Schratter said: “The mother Inja brings up her cubs, just as she would in the wild, in a hole in which we don’t have any visibility. So far, we’ve seen five babies outside the lair. Only time will tell if they all make it, though.”

The wolves, which are normally found in northern parts of America, Greenland and the Arctic, first moved to Vienna’s prestigious zoo in 2010. The female wolf Inja also previously provided the zoo with offspring in 2012.

Schratter said: “Arctic wolves have white fur which is quite notable in our enclosure, but they are very well camouflaged in their home regions in the far north.”

Baby wolves are born after being carried by their mother for about two months and feed off their mother’s milk for around three months. Gradually, they start eating more meat.

The reputation of the wolf as a blood-thirsty creature has contributed to the extinction of the protected species, which is in danger of extinction in many areas of Europe.