Exhibit Pack Update – 16 July 2024

We’ve been lucky to have such a mild summer so far; however, this luck seems to have run out! The past few weeks have shown us some very warm days. The wolves have been handling the heat fairly well, utilizing the pond, shaded areas, and misting system to cool off. Wolf care staff continue to provide frozen treats such as deer leg “popsicles”, frozen beaver tails, and bacon ice cubes. As a “cool” enrichment to celebrate July 4th, we provided the wolves with red, white, and blue snow cones made out of snow saved from this past winter with some sports drink for added flavor, color, and electrolytes. The fireworks were acknowledged by our wolf ambassadors, but they did not seem to be too affected by the loud noises; we have also been getting a lot of thunderstorms, which oftentimes are equally as loud! You can watch the ambassador wolves’ reactions to their snow cone enrichment and the fireworks later that night in this YouTube short.

To avoid the heat during the summer months, wolves tend to become less active during the day and more active in the cool evenings and night. Our wolf ambassadors are no exception to this! As July brings the heat and humidity, the Exhibit Pack has been spending more of their time resting in the shade or in their dens. Typically we see our ambassadors retreating to the wooded forest within their enclosure to escape the heat. However, the substantial amount of rain this summer has provided an abundance of mosquitoes… much to the chagrin of the wolves (and the wolf care team!). They seem to be avoiding utilizing the dense vegetation, preferring the more open areas by the viewing windows that tend to be less buggy. Although we certainly cannot complain about the rain this year, as it has helped greatly reduce the risk of wildfires after a very dry winter season. If you would like to help manage the mosquito issue for our Pack, check out our Amazon Wishlist! There are several items that aid in keeping bug numbers down such as all natural bug repellent sprays, bug balls, and an electric weed eater that we can bring in the enclosure to cut down some of the overly-lush grasses that the mosquitoes like to hang out in.

Even though a good portion of the wolves’ days consist of resting, there has still been a lot of interesting behaviors and Pack dynamics of note. Caz and Blackstone continue to be very respectful and submissive to Grayson. We oftentimes pay a lot of attention to some of the more antagonistic behaviors or behaviors associated with ritualized dominance since they tend to be more loud and noticeable. But wolves are incredibly social animals and will also display more affiliative behaviors such as mutual grooming and resting in proximity. The Exhibit Pack usually rests near each other, which can be a sign of a cohesive pack unit with strong social bonds. While Grayson will oftentimes give Caz corrections or posture over him, we have also seen a lot of grooming behaviors shared between these two. In the most recent Exhibit Pack Update you will see Caz presenting his leg and pawing at Grayson’s face. Grayson responds by licking Caz’s leg and providing that social care Caz appears to be soliciting.

When we talk about a dominant wolf — either male or female — people tend to think of the loudest, most intimidating or domineering wolf but in reality, maintaining good relationships with your pack members and leading with care for your pack seems to be the most common and important qualities. If you want to learn more about about wolf behavior, view our new wolf ethogram page. There, you can dive into the world of wolf ethology and begin to identifying many different types of wolf behavior.