shadow – Nov 27, 2006 12:00 AM

When Grizzer is testing Shadow, it’s clear by his body language that he is intimidated. The ears perked backwards and the tucked tail are body postures of a wolf that is intimidated, but Shadow uses facial expressions to maintain his rank order, including lip snarls and high pitch growls to warn Grizzer. So far, this behavior has been successful in keeping the tests short. The most important thing for Shadow to maintain his rank is confidence. In the photo taken shortly after the testing sequence, Shadow was again in high tail, confidently interacting with the staff and the wolves. When Shadow is intimidated by something, he is vulnerable. Staff are very conscientious of the influences in the wolf yard that make Shadow uncomfortable such as strangers behind the scenes. The rank order between the males is something that they will be working on throughout the winter.