maya – Jun 11, 2010 12:00 AM

One thing about wolf behavior is that there is no definitive answer as to why wolves behave the way they do. This is the scenario with Maya. We usually see wolf behavior calming during this time of the year, but Maya has had some intense dominance behavior lately. What we do notice, is that she appears to be more intense on days that Shadow is more reserved. She has been observed blocking Denali and Aidan from Shadow, and while we don't know for sure, but it appears that Shadow's lack of interaction makes Maya more defensive. She may be under more stress to keep the pack rank order with Shadow not participating. When Shadow's retired, she may be under less stress to intervene on Shadow's behalf. Time will tell, and behavioral observations will be critical.