maya – Sep 17, 2010 12:00 AM

Maya was actively involved in the dominance activity that resulted in Aidan getting his leg caught between two rocks. As a dominant female, her intensity is much greater than any of the other males. We understand it as a survival instinct. Females in the wild can control population and litter reproduction through dominance, and even though Maya is spayed, she has a clear role in pack leadership. It is hard to watch, and we strive to find the external stresses that may increase Maya's dominance, but life on a public display is going to have some excitable moments, and wolves will redirect. Our best management strategy is to design an exhibit that has some safety zones for lower ranking wolves, provide plenty of distractions if tensions get high, and maintain the best nutrition possible to all the wolves, but especially the lower ranking pack members.