Malik has the same feeding patterns as Grizzer eating the tail of the beaver first, before the rest of the carcass. His den has stayed high and dry as the spring snow melt occurred, but a cold front and snow today means we haven't stopped using straw beds.
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Maya's intensity as a dominant female is waning with the season, and her social response to Aidan seems to be increasing. She does stand and allow Aidan to sniff her, which is much different than earlier this winter. We are certainly mindful of the dynamics one individual wolf can have on the pack.
This photo is interesting as it shows the tenacity of Malik as he tries to gain back status from a winter spent as the third ranking male. But, the photo also shows the strong influence Shadow has on the pack dynamics. Grizzer is in a submissive posture, and he places his head beneath Shadow showing his submissive status to the dominant male. Shadow isn’t intimidated by Malik’s posturing, so he’s responding with direct eye contact back to Malik. It is a good sign that Grizzer still sees Shadow as the dominant pack mate and protector of this pack. One important behavior to note is the importance of possession rights with food. As the video shows, even though Malik is the third ranking male, he has the right to possess food from any other pack member. In the video, Grizzer attempts to approach Malik, but Malik is clearly in possession of his bone. While Malik’s ear posture turns submissive and he averts Grizzer’s gaze, Grizzer respects his right to possess food and walks away. This is one of the social rules in a wolf pack, if you get something, whether by tug-of-war, stealing or catching it, you have the right to guard it and keep it no matter your rank. The key is you must have possession. If you step away from the item, it’s up for grabs from any wolf.
Maya, as the only female in the exhibit, demonstrates a modified RLU or Modified raised leg urination. This means that she squats to mark, but partially lifts her back leg. She is demonstrating that on the cedar chips on the den, and if you ever observe a Center program entitled “What’s for Dinner, she will mark several times during a feeding. There was a noteworthy point in the staff logs this week. Maya has been doing some digging in search of a rodent that is hiding in the rock area. A group of volunteers from the Twin Cities office was visiting the Center last weekend, and they watched Maya dig a hole under some rocks until only her tail was visible. Staff hauled rocks and logs over the hole, but until the squeaking rodent decides to leave the safety of these rocks, Maya’s predatory instinct will motivate her to dig.
Even though Malik’s photo shows Grizzer submitting to Shadow, in a photo taken minutes later, Shadow needs to use a bit more vocalization and eye contact to remind Grizzer that he’s number two in the pack. In Shadow’s video, you will see Shadow taking a dip in the pond, of all the wolves in the Exhibit, Shadow does spend more time swimming than any of the other wolves. Notice, Malik skirts the edge and doesn’t care much for getting wet.
Lakota has the thickest coat of any of the wolves in our care. At 14 years of age, it still remains glossy and sleek, a good indication of nutrition. As the “Working for Wolves program approaches (May 18 – 20th), the staff have been putting together a list of activities. The top priority is to rake straw in the Retired Pack and get some grass seeded. It will be a full weekend of projects to make the wolves more comfortable, and there’s still 2 spots remaining? If you’re interested in making a difference in the lives of these wolves, check out the website under the programs tab on the home page, look for Learning Adventures in Northern Minnesota.
Shadow’s been demonstrating strong pack leadership as he moves to increase any status he may have lost over the winter months. As a leader, Shadow shows strong leadership characteristics. These behaviors include: • Being the first to lead the pack in a howl • Positioning his body at the fence line for any perceived threat • Greeting each pack member with facial licks or a rub under the chin • Encouraging social activity with a play bow • Using direct eye contact and body postures to show dominance In this week’s video, you will see a behavior termed a stand over. This behavior involves a dominant wolf approaching a subordinate, and standing over the head of the subordinate. It’s a subtle way to say, who’s in charge of the pack.
All the wolves received their annual vaccinations this morning. In an effort to ensure the wolves are in good health, a light sedative was given to all the males of the pack so the vet could get a closer look, especially the arctics, since Shadow's ears which have been causing him irritation lately. Grizzer's metabolism seems to be different than the arctics, the same amount of drug had little effect. Fortunately, staff were able to give his vaccinations with minimal trouble and he is always tolerant of an ear cleaning. While he didn't need to sedate Grizzer to do these tasks, we did have to sedate the arctics and if the arctics are feeling the effects of the sedation, it was important that Grizzer have the same influence to avoid making the arctics vulnerable. Everything worked out well, and all wolves are healthy and vaccinated.
The warming of the spring has been hard on wolves that still have a full winter coat. Staff have begun brushing the wolves to encourage shedding. At this weekend’s “Working for Wolves program, we will be mounting the sprinkler hose on the retired enclosure fence to provide some added relief this summer. The placement of the hose has a tendency to upset MacKenzie, as her poor vision has made it hard for her to define changes in the enclosure. Once the hose is in, the cool mist of air is a welcome addition to the summer enclosure.
Denali has been enjoying the spring melt, and with it, water holes and old bones. He is still very engaged in wrestling with Grizzer, but his testing behavior has diminished. He is very submissive to Shadow and while he does test Maya and still growls at her, he backs down more quickly. It appears that Denali is going to remain the 3rd ranking male behind Grizzer. He is still up to his juvenile traits; he grabbed an unattended scat bucket from the Curator and carried it up in the woods. His high tail and demeanor definitely showed some pride in that maneuver.
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