Today, Grizz is 21 days old and has been engaging in more play behavior. Grizz and Groan are entering into the socialization phase and as a result social behaviors are becoming more evident. Grizz and Groan have been starting to jaw spar and they're social behavior continues to quickly develop. Grizz is more passive in instigating play behavior than Groan. Pup care staff took Grizz and Groan to see the Malik and Shadow and then they spent time outdoors in the grass for about 15 mnutes.
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Today, Nubee is 13 days old. Her upper canines and incisors are irrupting. She trys to bite her handlers’ fingers in attempts to ease the discomfort associated with teething. Staff has been regularly massaging her gums to ease the process. She seems more alert today than in previous days. She is also beginning to explore the logs, balsam boughs and rocks which are found in the pen.
Maya has the most interesting facial expressions of any of the pack. She's constantly looking, listening and waiting to hear the next bird, rodent, or activity of a fellow pack member. In this week's photo, she just finished eating a piece of deer meat, and turns to watch a junco take off from the rock.
Maya’s a frequent swimmer in the Exhibit, most likely driven by the strong predatory behavior she displays. Any movement will stimulate Maya to investigate, and she puts all her effort into checking things out. She has been even known to dunk her head under water in search for a frog or minnows that might live at the bottom of the pond.
Shadow had a good veterinary exam today, he was sedated so the vet could scope his ears to determine if he had ear mites. He showed a slight irritation, probably allergies, but no mites. Staff cleaned his ears well, vaccinated him and started getting some of the loose hair that he’s starting to shed. These are all things that Shadow is reluctant to allow staff to do in during the daily checks. He must be feeling good with the clean ears, as he’s running and jumping into the pond tonight and stimulating social behavior with the other wolves.
Malik had a good veterinary exam today. He was much slower to come out of the sedation than Grizzer, so he spent a bit more time in the main enclosure before Grizzer joined the pack. The temperatures were very warm today, so after the exam, the pack slept for the day, staying very calm. Staff will be monitoring the pack throughout the evening to ensure that the wolves are getting along well.
Written by Workin' For Wolves program participants: Joyce Wells and Cathy Jents: Throughout the Workin' For Wolves weekend, Grizzer was observed challenging the other males for status. During the "What's For Dinner" program on Saturday, Grizzer dominated the deer carcass but allowed Malik to feed, ignoring Malik's raised lip and growls. When not challenging the other males, Grizzer initiated playful bouts with Shadow and Maya throughout the enclosure. This weekend's enrichment project provided a stimulating and enjoyable search for hidden meatballs that were creatively placed throughout the enclosure. Grizzer is in the process of shedding his winter undercoat and appears robust and healthy.
Written by Planning for Pups program participants Diann Evans, Steve Lokker and Dawn Ewing: There was a noticeable increase in the activity level of the pack as the time for "What's for Dinner" drew near. There were numerous episodes of chasing through the enclosure during which Grizzer was the subject of Maya's predatory instincts. Grizzer spent time duirng the chase in a high tail posture. During the feeding, Grizzer briefly displayed a lip curl as Malik approached the deer carcass.
Written by Planning for Pups participants, Cathy Jents, Andi Nelsen, Laura Walters: During the Planning for Pups program, Lakota was noted to be spending more time in the den box, but during wolf care checks, she readily greeted staff. The retired pack has not started to shed their winter coat which has been a benefit in preventing insect bites, but a hinderance in keeping cool with recent high humidity and increased temperatures. The increased heat may have affected her appetite as half of the beaver was left in the morning. Compared to the Working for Wolves weekend, both Lakota and Mackenzie appeared relax and comfortable.
With the Memorial Day holiday, all wolf logs will contain the same text content with different video and images. The most notable event this past week involved a bit of tension between Grizzer and Malik that escalated into a short, but noisy dominance display involving the entire Exhibit Pack. Staff had noticed during the "Workin for Wolves" weekend that Grizzer was stalking Malik, but Grizzer is a bit shy around strangers, so he didn't have too much action in front of the working group. As time went by, this tension was noticeably increasing, and on Thursday morning's wolf check, Grizzer became agitated with Malik and in an instant, forced Malik onto the ground. The entire pack was involved, with varying degrees of intensity, note Maya's hesitant stance. This was Grizzer's way of reasserting that he is now the #2 male on the Exhibit, taking over Malik's role this winter. This interaction is shown in Malik's video. In Grizzer's video, you will see another wolf communication to assert dominance, in a more passive manner. Grizzer is following Malik, causing Malik to be intimidated. When the male rank order has some strife, Maya gets a bit anxious. In her video clip, you will see her seek reassurance from Shadow, and toward the end of her clip, she actually climbs on the rocks to the wolf care staff to get out of the dominance mix. Shadow is watchful of the rank order issues between the #2 and #3 males, as Grizzer may try to increase rank farther by taking him on for the dominant role. But, in Shadow's clip, you do see Shadow with Maya doing a ride-up on him and Grizzer showing submissive ears. The Retired Pack is continuing to do well, as the weather warms, staff are making an extra effort to remove the excess undercoat of hair to help cool them. Lakota enjoys a brushing, Mac is not as enthusiastic. MacKenzie cools herself by finding a shady area in the enclosure or by panting.
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