Husky marries wolf in zoo, gives birth to a wolfdog

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A husky living in the wolf enclosure married a female wolf and gave birth to a wolfdog hybrid at Dezhou Zoo in east China’s Shandong Province, Qilu Evening Post reported on Wednesday.

The baby wolfdog, born on April 12, has both the biological features of these two animals. The four-month-old resembles her mother in terms of fur color and body figure, while her eyes are similar to husky.

The wolfdog hybrid baby. /Photo via Qilu Evening Post

“The baby wolfdog has a weight of more than 10 kilograms, and both its physical and mental conditions are good,” Li Yanping, a keeper in Dezhou zoo, said.

Li told Qilu Evening Post that “There are 10 wolves in the enclosure, and the husky can be deemed as the leader among the wolf family.”

Screenshot via Weibo

Last November, a tourist posted a video showing the injured husky was kept with a pack of wolves, raising animal lovers’ concerns about the dog’s safety issue.

Photo via iqilu.com

The zoo then released a statement, acknowledging that they imported a husky to the wolf enclosure, in an attempt to “increase the level of appreciation as well as the entertainment values for visitors.”

Photo via iqilu.com

Wolfdog hybrid is a term used to describe an animal that is part wolf and part domestic dog. Dogs and wolves share an evolutionary past and thus share many physical and behavioral traits.

However, people who own the hybrids are difficult to predict their pets' behaviors, as the diversity of genetic composition even within one litter of hybrid pups leads to a wide range of appearances and behavior patterns among all hybrids, according to the International Wolf Center.