malik – Jul 9, 2010 12:00 AM

For those of you concerned that Malik is the lower ranking pack member again, his actions in the last week should reassure you that Malik is managing well. First and foremost, wolves are social, and the best management scenario is for wolves to live in a social situation. Malik has always been the more subordinate since Shadow and Malik were pups, but with Shadow still adapting, Malik has had an opportunity to gain a few things. One issue is food possession, the Youtube video this week shows Shadow and Malik feeding on the carcass, and Malik has no problem guarding food. Actually, in one part of the clip, Shadow waits by the carcass while Malik feeds. The other notable event this week relates to the claiming of resting places. While the webcam shows they have no problem sharing den space, Shadow did approach the smaller den rock and entered it. Malik, who hasn't even approached that den in 7 months, watched Shadow enter, came over, pushed Shadow out, and now is sleeping in this den on a daily basis. His photo shows that he is quite comfortable in this space.