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Firefighters rescue wolf pups from massive Alaska wildfire

Posted at 4:10 PM, May 30, 2014
and last updated 2014-05-30 19:53:31-04

Firefighters battling a massive wildfire in Alaska’s Kenai National Wildlife Refuge stumbled upon a wolf den earlier this week. Inside were five young pups apparently left behind when the rest of their pack fled.

The firefighters quickly gathered up the animals and carried them to safety.

“Well, they’re helpless, you know,” firefighter Jefferson Sam told KTUU.

One of the pups actually came out of the den, seemingly seeking help, Sam said.

“We thought she was the smart one,” he said.

The pups were treated by a field biologist and given sugar water to relieve dehydration, KTUU reported. They were taken to a zoo in Anchorage, where they will be cared for until they can be placed in a permanent home.