denali – Dec 24, 2010 12:00 AM

The decision to hold Denali was not an easy decision. Anytime we pull a member of the pack, they could have issues with being accepted into the enclosure, and we want to always make sure the wolves are compatible. The issues we are having with Grizzer are rank issues, and Denali's opportunistic behavior. Socially, the wolves are engaging as a pack, rallying, howling together, but if there's any tension at all (strangers in the wolf yard, noise from the building, extreme cold, food competition), there is a escalation of this underlying rank tension. We know that winter hormones play a major role in this situation, and this tension is short-term, and we will do all we can do to get through this. Denali is the most relaxed wolf we've ever had in a holding situation.