Photographer Linda Botterill and her husband were out in the backcountry recently when they came upon three wolf pups playing on the forestry road.

The pups were distracted by one another, just frolicking, jumping, and rolling on the ground together.

The parents were howling nearby but they were protected from sight by the trees.

The pups were nervous to cross a ditch in the direction of their parents, and howled back. But as Botterill took the photos from a safe distance, they finally worked up the nerve.

Botterill says that all the while, the sound of the parents and pups howling was eerie, but the experience was so very exhilarating.

Photos courtesy Botterill Photography