Playing fetch with humans is an advanced skill that many researchers thought was limited to domesticated dogs, but three untrained wolf puppies called that thinking into question when they retrieved a ball for behavioral ecologist Christina Hansen Wheat and her collaborators. "What we're seeing is that wolves can read human social cues if they choose," Hansen Wheat said, and the ability is probably among those that led to early canine domestication, says Evan MacLean, director of the University of Arizona's Canine Cognition Center.

Eastern equine encephalitis caused the death of a Mexican gray wolf pup at Binder Park Zoo in Michigan and is suspected in the death of a second pup that had a liver disorder, and zoo staff are taking steps to prevent further infections. The zoo vaccinates animals considered susceptible to the virus, but EEE is rarely found in canines, and the pups had not been vaccinated.

Marketing leaders discuss trends they'd like to see disappear in 2019, such as the use of celebrity influencers, the concept of "disruption" and inauthentic purpose-driven marketing. "Consumers demand ethically-aware brands that are uncompromising in their commitment to their values and beliefs," says Don't Cry Wolf's Sara Collinge.

The $250 million Great Wolf Lodge Southern California water park in Garden Grove opened Friday. The 105,000-square-foot indoor water park marks Great Wolf's entry into the Southern California tourism market. It offers a "Wolf Rider Wipeout" attraction, several water slides, a lazy river, a water-basketball pool, a mini-golf course and an arcade.