Exhibit Pack Update – 16 January 2024

The Exhibit Pack has finally got a substantial amount of snow. We were hit by a winter storm last week and it snowed for few days; temperatures have dropped below zero now, but the Exhibit looks stunning with a thick blanket of white. With the cold weather, we’ve been observing some increased activity with our ambassador wolves. Social chases are common within the Exhibit Pack, often involving Caz, Blackstone, and Rieka. These chases will sometimes evolve into more of a focused interaction with one of the wolves becoming the target of interest. Blackstone is oftentimes the focus of Pack activity as a lower ranking individual.  The wolf care team monitors their interactions moment by moment, being sure to the read body language, facial expression, ear posture, tail posture, and vocalizations that are used to communicate within the Pack.

Grayson continues to engage in a lot more social activity. We’ve seen Grayson approaching Rieka attempting to initiate social interactions through behaviors such as invite chasing, foreleg stabbing/pawing, whining, and tail wagging. This is a clear difference from last winter, when Grayson was not as active in initiating/seeking social interactions with her. We still see Rieka target his rear/tail at times, often occurring during heightened pack activity. Watch this week’s Pack Update on YouTube to see an example of the social behaviors observed between Rieka and Grayson, including play bows, high tail wagging, and high stepping.

We are once again thankful for the progress we’ve seen in Axel’s hair growth. Without his thick winter coat, this past week would’ve been brutal for him given the -20°F nights. Thankfully he seems to be the least bothered by the cold this winter! He continues to be an active, engaged member of the Exhibit Pack, oftentimes posturing over the younger males, as well as his brother.