Boltz – The Intensity of the Eyes

Aidan’s loss of confidence seems to be most correlated to Boltz’s presence.  We have observed surveillance footage as well as direct observations where Denali and the arctics can move around Aidan and even feed on the same carcass, but as soon as Boltz approaches, Aidan tucks tail, offers a lip curl threat and retreats.  At times, Boltz does nothing more than look at Aidan, but no doubt, the intensity of the stare speaks volumes.  This is a new-found role for Boltz who spent most of last summer in a self-imposed state of panic over the buzzing insects of northern Minnesota.  But, does the intensity of Boltz’s stare enough to lead a pack?  There is evidence to suggest that the answer would be no.  After a recent feeding when Aidan was able to drive Boltz off a carcass, Boltz seemed to revert to pup-like food begging behavior from Denali, who in Boltz’s mind is appears to be higher ranking.  This obnoxious submitting created enough unstable energy that both arctic yearlings seemed to take advantage of Boltz.  So, if Boltz shows the same unstable energy when dealing with flies, he may be perceived as weak by the fellow pack members affecting his ability to lead.  But, the buzzing insect issues seems to be more psychological than physical, so if he comes into the summer with a more confident mindset, maybe he will display a more confident attitude.  We know we made progress with the bacon flavored bubbles we used last summer, so we intend to continue that desensitizing conditioning behavior for the summer enrichments.  Time will tell; One interesting thing about pack dynamics is that the actions of an individual and time of year can influence the pack interactions.