aidan – Aug 24, 2009 12:00 AM

Despite the focus of Maya, Aidan does get some relaxing moments with staff, as indicated by his photo this week. He is always on the alert for Maya's presence, but does find time to submit to staff, jaw spar with his littermate Denali, and greet Shadow. In discussions with the Biology and Chemistry faculty at Vermilion Community College, it does appear that we will be able to start the fecal cortisol study this winter. This is a study to look at cortisol levels in the scat as an indicator of stress, and hopefully, be able to identify stress levels of individuals, then attempt to apply some management techniques. Initially, when this study was proposed, we were concerned about Malik, but Aidan's situation warrants data as well. One note to all wolf log readers, we are experiencing some difficulty with video editing software. The curator has purchased a new computer and an upgrade of software, but it may not be arriving for a few days. Please be patient, we know the importance of the video, and will solve it before the next YouTube is due on September 1st. In the meantime, a podcast is being produced today, discussing the behavioral observations of the summer Ethology and Pups at One Year participants.