grizzer – May 8, 2006 12:00 AM

Grizzer was very tolerant of the immobilization process that took place last week Thursday. He exhibited a lot of anxious whining, and was very excited to see the arctics back in the pack, but didn't show any signs of dominance due to their absence. This is a big concern when doing medical care on a few members of the pack rather than the whole group. In the wild, wolves disperse or leave their pack and can be perceived as outsiders after dispersal. In captivity, even a short removal for veterinary care can create a similar behavioral scenario. The age of Grizzer may have been a factor. Grizzer and Maya turned two years old on Friday, even though they are physically mature, they tend to still exhibit juvenile tendencies. An immobilization like this would not be a method recommended if Grizzer were 3 years of age and acting like a full-fledged adult. In that case, all the wolves would be treated equally.