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New York Post
3 days ago
- Climate
- New York Post
Denali National Park introduces adorable new sled dogs, live Puppy Cam
Sled dog puppies at Denali National Park and Preserve can now be watched through their live Puppy Cam, National Park Service (NPS) officials announced on Thursday. Raised at Denali Sled Dog Kennels, this year's litter includes five Alaskan husky puppies that were born less than a month ago on May 3. Two of the pups are females named Squall and Storm, while the other three are males named Graupel, Dew and Fog. They were recently spotted via their Puppy Cam during their feeding time on Saturday. Park officials said the pups' weather-themed names come from the diverse and dramatic ways water affects the weather. As sled dog pups in every litter are named after a theme, the NPS noted that the names for this year's 'Weather Litter' are in honor of a 100-year partnership between the National Weather Service (NWS) and the Kennels, in which mushing rangers of Denali collected and shared weather data with the weather agency. Why Denali National Park has sled dogs The Denali Sled Dog Kennels is one of the oldest sled dog kennels in the U.S., the only sled dog kennel in the NPS for more than a century and the only dog sled kennel within the federal government, according to park officials. 'This special group of dogs is tasked with preserving unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations,' the NPS said on their website. It noted that the sled dogs perform necessary wintertime duties throughout Denali, such as giving park rangers the most effective means of patrolling the Alaskan wilderness during the long winters. National Park Service (NPS) officials announced that sled dog puppies at Denali National Park can now be observed through the live Puppy Cam. NPS How sled dogs are selected for breeding To provide the best sled dogs for these duties, the NPS said the Kennels look for certain qualities as they create each year's litters. For example, some physical characteristics include long legs to help the pups move through the snow, compact paws to help prevent ice from building up between their toes and robust coats and tails to keep them warm. Ideal characteristics also include personality traits, such as tenacity, love for pulling and working as part of a team and social skills that allow them to thrive when given attention by thousands of people who visit the kennels every summer. The raised dog kennels feature five Alaskan husky puppies that were born less than a month ago. NPS The pups of the Weather Litter seem destined to have such ideal characteristics for being sled dogs, given their lineage. Their mother, Merlyn, exhibited such traits. Part of a litter named after 9/11 Search and Rescue dogs, Merlyn has a sweet disposition and shows strong leadership with her team, the NPS said. They also added that she is most likely to smile with teeth. Officials said their father, Drumlin, came from a well-respected kennel in Lake Minchumina, which lies north of Denali National Park. How to watch the sled dog puppies The pups can be watched every day through their live Puppy Cam. Of note is their feeding times, which are displayed in their kennel at 11:45 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. Alaska Standard Time. Park officials said the Puppy Cam is made possible through their partnership with Alaska Geographic. For those who might want to care for their own sled dog, retired sled dogs from the Kennel can be adopted.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Denali's live sled dog cam is back with 5 adorable new puppies
The Brief Denali National Park is celebrating the birth of five new sled dogs, and you're invited to watch them live in their kennels. The Alaska national park has been breeding sled dogs since 1922 to help patrol the park's 2 million acres of designated wilderness. Denali National Park has resurrected its live puppy cam to celebrate the birth of five sled dogs born at the park on May 3. The national park in Alaska is the only one in the National Park Service that breeds sled dogs. They work with the mushing rangers to patrol and haul materials over the park's 2 million acres of designated wilderness. Local perspective This year marks 100 years of partnership between the mushing rangers and the National Weather Service to collect weather data at Denali. To celebrate the anniversary, the new weather litter puppies are named after the "diverse and sometimes dramatic ways water influences our weather: Storm, Squall, Graupel, Fog and Dew." RELATED: National parks saw record number of visits in 2024, but reported memo says not to publicize Their mother (dam) is Merlyn, who was born in the park in 2021, and their father (sire) is Drumlin, who hails from a partner kennel in Alaska. Dig deeper: According to the National Park Service, arranged breeding and splitting litters with partners "strengthens the health of the Kennel's lineage, as well as the health of all freight-style Alaskan huskies." Check out the live cam here. The backstory Sled dogs were introduced to the park in 1922 to help patrol the park's boundaries and look out for poachers. The park has had working dog teams ever since, though the sled dogs' roles have evolved. RELATED: Here are the most-visited states for national parks Mushing is a cultural tradition in Alaska that dates back thousands of years, the park service says. NPS says sled dogs are the most effective way to patrol the vast designated wilderness during the long winter season. The Alaskan huskies are bred to inherit specific physical and character traits, including: Long legs to trek through deep snow Compact paws to resist ice build-up Sturdy coats and puffy tails to keep warm Tenacity A desire to pull and run with their team Social skills to handle the thousands of tourists who admire them at the kennels each summer The Source This report includes information from the National Park Service.
