Denali – Wolf Ethology Observations

This week’s wolf logs are based on observations by our Biology 1476: Wolf Ethology participants

Wolf Ethology Participant – Denali is a calmer wolf who avoids conflict when he can – sometimes he’ll play peacemaker, trying to distract wolves from an intense situation. Sometimes he takes the focus of the mobbing. Aidan and Luna both dominated Denali at different times last night, sitting on his head and ‘squashing’ him at times.

Wolf Ethology Participant – During the webinar Denali tended to be in the forefront of the activity. Aidan appeared to show some signs of stress (possibly due to the high winds). Luna may have picked up on this stress redirected towards Denali. At one point Denali performed a stand-over and squash on Aidan. This activity seemed to trigger a response from Luna, who continued to show dominance over Denali. The rest of the pack joined in, chasing Denali around the enclosure. After 10-15 minutes, the activity subsided and the pack seemed more calm.