aidan – Aug 17, 2009 12:00 AM

The summer heat finally arrived, and most of the wolves did fairly well, with the exception of Aidan. The heat alone wouldn't have been an issue, but during the warmest day, with the highest humidity, the new fence construction contributed to his stress level, and overheating. First, I will talk about the fence. We have always had an issue with people ignoring the no trespassing signs on the far side of the fence, walking up to the pack, howling to the pack and bringing dogs next to the fence. This has caused the wolves a great deal of anxiety, and unfortunately, redirected aggression. Wolf Center Board members generously contributed money for the funding of a permanent, 9 foot tall cedar fence, blocking the public from accessing the wolf enclosure. This is especially important as the building construction is funneling all visitors into the entrance door adjacent to the enclosure. So, the fence was needed, but the timing of the fence with the heat and humidity caused Aidan to display some of the first symptoms of heat, rapid panting with thick, sticky and foamy saliva. Wolf care staff initiated several days of enclosure enrichments with chicken filled ice blocks thrown in the pond, to encourage the wolves to swim. This helped the wolves tremendously, and Aidan managed quite well. By the way, the fence is nearly done, and it is a great improvement for the wolves security.