Denali is definitely developing a different pelage than Aidan. He is much more goldish in coloration and has some very long, soft guard hairs. They are very easy to tell apart, and he continues to be larger than Aidan. Denali is not quite as responsive to dominance from the adults, and does act more independently. During the den construction on Sunday, he stayed in the back of the enclosure until the work was done, showing avoidance rather than fear. The video clips posted with the wolf logs are very short, if you would like to see several minutes of the pack activitiy, we are now posting weekly videos on Youtube. To locate these videos, search for the International Wolf Center.
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Denali has been having a great winter and seems to just keep getting bigger. This could be because he, like Grizzer, is very food-oriented. Denali is usually the first one to take his place on the carcass during the What’s For Dinner programs and will defend his share vigorously. The addition of Denali and Aidan to this pack has added a dimension and cohesiveness that the center has not seen before. With three age structures, the opportunities to observe this pack and its dynamics are a sure treat for visitors and staff alike.
Grizzer continues to be the ideal pup sitter, watching and playing with the pups more than any other Exhibit Pack member. He and Maya still share a special littermate bond, and he tolerates Maya’s continual dominance, even though it may prohibit him from chasing Malik. It is amazing how tolerant Grizzer is, whether it’s pups chewing on him, laying on him or grabbing him, he rarely exhibits anything but a soft muzzle bite toward the pups.
Aidan and Denali had a successful neutering and were back in the pack holding area throughout the weekend for recovery. They did well, but were quite a hand full for the wolf care staff on 24 hour a day duty from Friday night until Monday morning, when the pups returned to the pack. The introduction back to the pack was similar to the first day, with all the adult males joining the pups in the pack holding are prior to release. The pups sutures are healing well, and they are on antibiotics for a full week. The pond was drained before they returned to the pack, so their sutures would stay dry. Unfortunately, temperatures reached 90 degrees today, so the pups stayed nice in cool in an underground den at the top of the enclosure.
Malik again received a chase from the pups upon their reintroduction into the pack, but did seem to socially interact with the pups upon their return. We will be monitoring him closely to ensure that he doesn't get too much focus as the pups get older. We begin construction on a new densite in the Exhibit Pack next week, this will likely keep the pups busy climbing on the new rocks. The key to making the omega wolf comfortable is to keep the pups occupied.
Malik is certainly taking advantage of Grizzer's good natured attitude toward the pups. He surrounds Grizzer and the pups with high tail and does a foreleg stab to push Grizzer to the ground. So far, Grizzer has not responded, but as fall approaches, Grizzer is likely to get more dominant. Malik is more relaxed with Grizzer in a submissive posture and has even been observed playing with the pups. The video clips on posted with the wolf logs are very short, if you would like to see several minutes of the pack activitiy, we are now posting weekly videos on Youtube. To locate these videos, search for the International Wolf Center.
Lakota is doing well with her enclosure improvement projects. We are ready to pour the pond concrete and the new densite pad. She will be getting an insulated den and while the pond would be too cold to fill this fall, it will be ready for next summer's heat. The enclosure size will also be expanded, 20 new trees will be planted and a sound barrier will be built to reduce the noise from the highway. She did avoid her existing den box when it was initially moved, but now she is using it again. We hope the new den is up soon to help her deal with cold mornings. She is eating about 4 lbs of meat every night, and her winter coat is developing nicely.
Malik seems to be a bit calmer, possibly responding to Grizzer's anxiety about the pups. Grizzer is so focused on not being a pup chew toy, that he has no time to dominate Malik. Malik doesn't take advantage of Grizzer when the pups are with him, because if he gets into the mix, the pups will do the same thing to him. It's a good thing that Shadow and Maya apply some discipline to these pups, if it was left to Malik and Grizzer, the pups would be running the Exhibit Pack.
Maya continues to be on the search for food, and this has allowed her to overcome her fear of the holding pen. After the pups are fed, she quickly enters the holding pen and searches for the pups caches. She has been whining towards Lakota in the same way she whines towards the pups. We are uncertain what it means, but Lakota comes to her at the fence. Maya and Lakota did have a scuffle through the fence over a chicken thigh. Lakota had the thigh in the pack holding area and brought it to the gate. Maya tried to reach through the fence and get it, but Lakota is still great at dominanting over food. Lakota did an intensive lip curl, growling and lunging towards Maya, then took the chicken and ran.
The wolf logs for the Exhibit Pack will contain the same text, due to extra time needed for Lakota (see Lakota's log). The Exhibit Pack is doing well, consuming a lot of food and spending quite a bit of time in and on the new den. The wolf care staff heard wild wolves howl several times on Saturday's overnight, which may explain why Shadow has been doing so many lone defensive howls lately. Aidan appears to be catching up to Denali's weight, and the pups continue to eat on a daily basis, either a carcass with the pack on Saturdays and Wednesday's or daily chicken, beef or venision during the other evenings.
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