RESIDENT PROFILES
AQUTAQ
Arctic Wolf • Canis lupus arctos • Born April 9, 2011
Affectionately nicknamed “Princess BitchyPants,” Aqutaq is the pack’s fierce adoptive matriarch. She helped Oliver raise and socialize the younger wolves and appeared in more live presentations than any other Tahoe Wolf Center resident. Now retired from public programs, she enjoys life alongside the pack—especially Iqniq.
IQNIQ
Northern Rocky Mountain/Canadian Timber Wolf • Canis lupus occidentalis • Born May 13, 2019
Known online as the “nicest wolf,” Iqniq is a gentle, devoted guardian with a special talent for caring for puppies. His cue for sitting politely for a treat is “Proper Gentleman,” and he lives up to it. He also appears in Oliver Starr’s TED Editor’s Pick talk, “Defanging Alpha.”
MORE MEMBERS OF THE PACK
TAQQIQ “MOONIE”
Northern Rocky Mountain/Canadian Timber Wolf • Canis lupus occidentalis • Born April 22, 2023
Nicknamed “Moonie-Badger, the Angry Weasel,” Moonie chose Oliver during bottle-feeding by relentlessly focusing on him. Though she was the smallest pup in her litter, exceptional care, a biologically appropriate diet, and an active life helped her grow into a larger-than-average female of her subspecies.
Northern Rocky Mountain/Canadian Timber Wolf • Canis lupus occidentalis • Born April 25, 2023
SIQINIQ “SUNNY”
Sunny is the pack’s precocious troublemaker with a mischievous sense of humor. If something goes bump in the night, Sunny is probably bumping it. She can open doors, climb ladders, and walk on railings. Her catlike capabilities are matched by her loving nature—she will literally launch herself at Oliver to give him kisses.
YOUNGEST MEMBERS OF THE PACK
NUNARJUAQ “NUNI”
Northern Rocky Mountain/Canadian Timber Wolf • Canis lupus occidentalis • Born April 15, 2024
Nuni’s name means “Earth” or “of the land” in Inuktitut. Rescued from the illegal wildlife trade, he has blossomed into the most fearless and sociable wolf Tahoe Wolf Center has ever raised. He is also the center’s largest resident, weighing more than 150 pounds.
NEPENTHE
Honorary Wolf • Alaskan Malamute • Born February 4, 2024
Nepenthe is an Alaskan Malamute who was literally raised by wolves. Feisty, bouncy, and a little unruly, she is featured in the upcoming children’s book The Little Malamute Raised by Wolves. She shares a birthday with Tahoe Wolf Center co-founder and board member Thanya Starr.
IN MEMORIAM
BIXBY “KING WOOLY”
Mentor Dog Extraordinaire • August 25, 2010 – April 2, 2024
Bixby was Oliver’s heart dog and helped raise Aqutaq, Iqniq, Sunny, and Moonie. His quiet confidence and steadfast presence shaped Tahoe Wolf Center’s socialization program and helped Aqutaq find the fearlessness to appear before large audiences. His memorial rests within the wolf habitat, where Aqutaq often lies beneath his final resting place.