Dire Wolf, Dearly Departed
Lizette S. T5
Casia Canis dirus
The Good Old Days
Casia began as a mere little pup, and a playful one at that. When the hunter wolves brought over food to the rendezvous point where the rest of the wolves waited, she’d run right up to them and demand her large chunk of the meal. The dire wolf diet mainly consisted of horse and bison meat. It didn’t take long for Casia to become fascinated with hunting. She was more than willing to participate in a hunting expedition once she turned the appropriate age.
Casia as a Pup
(Thank you all for your condolences
Hope to see you at the funeral)
The Big Dogs
(from left to right) Chester, Lester, and Sylvester
Wolf Gone Wild
The Heart of a Hunter
Casia hunted in a pack with more than thirty other wolves, most of which were considered “big dogs”, powerful warriors who fought for food. Casia befriended the three most powerful big dogs of the pack: Chester, Lester, and Sylvester, all of whom have nothing but admirable words to say about her.
“She was a spunky girl, with the heart it takes to be a good hunter. She fended off anyone who got in the way of her and her meat. Don’t mess with Cas, fellas!”~Sylvester, on Casia’s hunting skills.
Casia grew up to be a beautiful, young lady wolf. As a teenager she possessed the wide skull, and size (roughly between 125-175 lb) that gave her and other dire wolves the title of being the “the largest canids to have ever lived.” The title of being “the bravest female hunter in the pack” was one she earned herself. She was respected by everyone all across the land. Even her bison game wore an expression of honor on their faces as they bid their final farewells to the world.
The Incident
During one hunting experience, Casia was wounded greatly, gashed in the head in fact. It was Sylvester who had carried her to safety, but ever since, the big dogs kept her away from the dangers of hunting. The light and fire inside Casia had been extinguished. She was still able to maintain her fierce and proud reputation, though. Miraculously, she was also able to survive the head injury, even living a year after the incident.
Finding the Bright Side
Casia spent that year channeling her energy into training all the willing young pups to become fearsome hunters, just like her. She achieved so many great things as a trainer and teacher. Grandma Canis armbrusteri would have been proud.
A dire demise
Meanwhile, humans were beginning to cross the land bridge over to North America, and they managed to spread all the way to where Casia and her pack resided. One fateful day, a year later, Casia met her unpleasant demise when the sharp tool of a human punctured into her flesh.
The other dire wolves have died out too. Some due to the mighty humans and their impressive weaponry, others due to severe climate changes and the force of a large comet that had hit Earth.
Her story has taught us all to live everyday like it’s the last. She jumped at the chance to pursue her passion for hunting the second that opportunity knocked at her door. She didn’t let setbacks, like head injuries, stop her from spreading positivity to the world as she taught those eager puppies how to hunt. She has shown us all what a remarkable warrior she once was.
Casia’s fiery spirit will be dearly missed.
The Funeral Service
Please come prepared to think of this event as a
Going Away Party for Casia.
It's what she would have wanted.
Thursday, Apr 17, 2014, 07:30 AM
Rancho La Brea, Los Angeles, CA, United States
Casia's Pupils
The next meeting will be held on Thursday, April 17, in which members will be taking a field trip to Casia's funeral service. Any member without a permission slip will not be allowed to attend the service.
Below are some of the fun topics the PUPils have been discussing as of late:
Dire Wolf vs. Gray Wolf
Skeletons
Tar Pits
She will always have a tender spot within our hearts.
Rest in Peace
Works Cited
BBC News. BBC. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Dire_Wolf>.
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"Dire Wolf Fact Sheet." Dire Wolf Fact Sheet. Web. 11 Apr. 2014. <http://library.sandiegozoo.org/factsheets/_extinct/direwolf/direwolf.htm>.
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"The La Brea Tar Pits." La Brea Tar Pits. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. <http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/quaternary/labrea.html>.
"Museum of Life and Science in Durham, NC." Animal Department. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. <http://blogs.lifeandscience.org/keepers/author/jebrown/page/2/>.
"Researchers Uncover Dire Wolf Fossils Near Las Vegas." Dire Wolf Once Roamed Las Vegas Strip. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. <http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1112750445/dire-wolf-las-vegas-121812/>.
"Spin Serpent: Myths & Realities of Dire Wolves." Spin Serpent: Myths & Realities of Dire Wolves. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. <http://www.spinserpent.com/2012/05/myths-realities-of-dire-wolves.html>.
"Vertebrate Paleontology." FLMNH. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. <http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/vertpaleo/fossilspeciesCanisdirus.htm>.
"World of the Wolf - Canis Dirus." World of the Wolf - Canis Dirus. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. <http://www.naturalworlds.org/wolf/history/Canis_dirus.htm>.
"Prehistoric 20predators 20e04 20killer — Search Results." Prehistoric 20predators 20e04 20killer — Page 1 — FileTraffic.net. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. <http://filetraffic.eu/s/prehistoric%20predators%20e04%20killer>.