Blacktail Deer Plateau don't feed the animals

Right on cue, Peregrine appeared at the den-site with a belly full of half-digested food and every intention that it should see the light of day once more. Pura scampered after his uncle, superman-ing into the mouth of the den without fear or concern for what he would land on. It was Kisu's soft side rather than a pile of regurgitated meat that cushioned his fall - no doubt every adult present breathed a sigh of relief at that - and little Pura rolled gently from his landing pad to the dinner table.

His uncle had put on quite a spread, and it smelled divine. The pups' senses were improving every day, and Pura's hearing and ability to smell were coming along nicely. Even the most putrid Daddy-farts or post-meal-Uncle-burps were a delight by the sheer fact that they were strong, and different.

The freckled whelp toddled clumsily to the wet pile and thrust his face straight in. He was struggling to make the transition from suckling to chewing, and performed the latter without any grace what-so-ever. Despite his enthusiastic "Om-om-om-nom-om..", Pura was mostly mashing the food into an even finer paste.