malik – Aug 13, 2010 12:00 AM

This week has been extremely warm for Ely, Minnesota standards with temperatures nearing 90 degrees and humidity exceeding 80%. It has been extremely hard on the wolves, and wolf care staff are doing what they can to make them comfortable. Wolves have are covered in hair and don't have sweat glands at the surface of their skin, resulting in a cooling mechanism of panting to evaporate heat and moisture off the surface of their tongue. This isn't a very efficient method in high humidity. Each wolf has distinct tolerances of heat, and has their own method for cooling. <br>Malik doesn't appear to have as much hair as Shadow, meaning he stays cooler. Malik also frequents the back of the Retired Enclosure, staying in the shade of the tall pines.