After a one-year hiatus in 2020, the Denali National Park Kennels’ live Puppy Cam is back online. Denali didn’t have a litter of sled dog puppies in 2020, but now, you can watch this year’s eight puppies live, as they play, eat, learn and grow up.
Watch Denali Sled Dog Puppies Play, Learn and Grow on the Live Puppy Cam
A historic—and modern—means of transportation across the Alaskan wilderness for things as varied as hunting and visiting family, mushing has been an integral part of life in Alaska for thousands of years. Before the introduction of motorized transportation, nearly every family in Alaska had sled dogs.
This cultural tradition is still popular to this day and, in Denali National Park, sled dogs have been a key part of the park since 1922, the National Park Service says. Sled dogs allow park rangers to effectively patrol the enormous, roadless, 2-million-acre designated Wilderness in the park during the long winter season.
As in all working dogs, there’s an extremely strong bond between them and their humans. You can see these bonds form and develop on the live Denali Puppy Cam managed by Denali National Park Kennels.
These sled dogs are bred specifically for qualities needed to thrive in the harsh Alaskan climate and conditions. Physical traits of Denali sled dogs include puffy tails and thick coats of fur, compact paws and long legs for breaking trail through deep snow.
Character traits are no less important, though. Sled dogs in Denali National Park have a relentless desire to pull sleds and be part of a running dog team, exceptional tenacity, reliability and virility.
Additionally, they also have the social skills to accept the attention and admiration they get from the thousands of people who visit the Denali National Park Kennels each year.
Meet Denali National Park’s 2021 Sled Dog Puppies
The 2021 litter of sled dog puppies in Denali National Park consists of eight adorable little canines.
They’re named after eight of the approximately 300 dogs that helped during search-and-rescue operations at Ground Zero and the Pentagon after 9/11, which is twenty years ago this year. These youngest members of the Denali National Park sled dog team are: Apollo, Boomer, Blitz, Dargo, Gus, Jolie, Merlyn and Sage.
Lower row, from left to right: Apollo, Sage, Blitz and Boomer
Image credit: NPS
“Even twenty years later, we honor the heroism and sacrifices first responders made when the terrorist attacks landed on September 11, 2001. We recognize the importance of their work and wish to express our gratitude for all that they have done for our country.”
Denali National Park Superintendent Don Striker
As you watch the Denali sled dog pups learn and grow into loving and hard-working adults, remember that their names honor “the memory of not only the search and rescue dogs, but of the firefighters, law enforcement officers, and handlers that responded without hesitation in America’s time of need.”
- You can watch the Denali Puppy Cam live here.
- You can also see “pupdates” on the Denali National Park Facebook page.
Additionally, when visiting Denali National Park don’t forget to visit the Park Kennels in person. Meeting these pups and dogs, and seeing them interact and work, is a major highlight of the national park.
