Grizzer – A Period of Adjustment

Over the last few weeks, we have made some progress in getting Luna and Grizzer to share the three enclosures that comprise the “Retirement Area”.  Initially, we tried fence to fence greetings where we saw some focus and posturing from Luna, but no response from Grizzer.  With a team of seasoned wolf care staff equipped with tools for distraction and intervention, we opened the gate and allowed Grizzer to come into the Pack Holding Area with Luna.  The meeting was calm and Grizzer showed more interest in the Wolf Care Center  building than he did with Luna.  The following days resulted in some avoidance behavior, similar to magnets of like poles that repel each other, whichever enclosure Luna entered, Grizzer exited.  We were also monitoring Luna’s food possessive behavior since that was her behavioral pattern when she lived with the Exhibit Pack. By the third day of interactions, Grizzer and Luna started to show some social interactions with Luna even rolling over for Grizzer.  To make this transition easier for Grizzer, we are switching back to smaller more frequent feedings for both Grizzer and Luna with just one larger feeding on Saturday night.  With less food to cache, Luna’s defensive behavior subsides.  If needed, they can be separated for the Saturday night feeding, but we did watch Grizzer defend and feed on a beaver cache on Thanksgiving evening that had been Luna’s possession earlier in the day. They may have already made the adjustment.