Axel – is Leadership a Good Fit

Axel is definitely taking every opportunity to assert some status.  His tension is still quite high with Denali and Boltz, displaying ride-up behaviors doing some face-off behaviors, not to mention taking any opportunity to grab-bite Aidan’s tail.  Certainly, he has confidence; he was the more confident of the two pups and some of his behavior seems to be mirroring his pup behavior, but is that enough to lead a pack and is leadership a good fit with Axel’s personality?  Only time will tell, but independence doesn’t make for strong bonds.  We continue to see the importance of strong bonds between Grayson and Aidan.  If Axel leads, will he show the same level of trust and leadership for the 2020 pups or will they form alliances with the more social companionship of Grayson or Boltz? Even though it is only 2018, the preparation for the 2020 pups is underway and these are the kind of questions on the minds of the curator. 

Boltz – Looking at Life at the Top

Earlier this winter, we really thought Boltz was showing some behaviors that indicated he could lead this pack, but recently, his confidence has been waning.  It seems like he took a look at life at the top and decided that it was better to be subordinate.  He is socially interactive with the pack, but is quick to show a submissive food-begging posture to Denali after a group howl or when there’s an over-exuberant session of dominance from the maturing yearlings.  He is very timid when trying to get a piece of the weekly deer carcass, especially since Aidan’s confidence has increased.  We just celebrated Boltz’s 6th birthday on March 17th and during his webinar and we discussed Boltz’s phobias of flying insects during the summer and how that timid response is likely going to impact his ability to gain the respect and leadership of the pack.  One of the webinar subscribers asked if Boltz had other winter phobias that were as intense as the insect issues.  My response to that was no, primarily because he might have a focus on things from above such as ravens during the winter, but not enough to go and hide in the woods all day like he does in the summer.  One thing is for certain, each wolf has a personality and has had life experiences that shape their personality.  It is up to wolf care staff to understand and find creative ways to manage their unique personalities as they meld with the pack.  For Boltz, we found that using bacon flavored bubbles is a way to help desensitize him to items floating above his head and we will continue to work with him before the start of the insect season.  If you are interested in honoring Boltz’s birthday or supporting the training and supplies used to care for our wolves, please consider a gift to the Wolf Care Fund. 

Luna – Checking Staff Training

Luna’s behavior has always been a contributing factor to wolf care training, whether it be monitoring her interactions with the packmates, her focus on food and caches or her tolerances for physical bodywork, staff need to be extremely tied into her body language to know how to respond.  Luna is quick to assume leadership over any circumstance, so we need to interpret and understand her body language to be proactive.  Some may think dominance is synonymous with the term domineering, but when working with adult wolves, we need to understand that wolves respond to the energy and actions of the packmates and for socialized wolves, that includes the human handlers.  Dominance and leadership starts with calm energy and if we begin interacting with Luna when she’s in an excited state, her response will be excitement.  When wolves get excited, they are prone to grab-biting.  So, to those of you who emailed me asking if it is normal for wolves to grab the hands of the wolf care staff, the answer is no, but is it something that can occur?  Yes, both Luna and Boltz can respond with a level of stimulation that needs to be calmed before we can do our jobs.  They are both turning 6- years old this month, if you are interested in honoring Luna or Boltz’s birthdays, please consider a donation to the Wolf Care Fund and under designation, select wolf care.  In addition to vet care, medication, food and supplies, the wolf care fund helps pay for hands-on training.  Join us for Luna’s birthday webinar on March 25th, follow this link for registration.

 

 

Grizzer – Spring Fever

Grizzer is still very aware of activities in the main enclosure and is quick to watch from the back habitat den where he can see the action on the upper wooded portion of the enclosure.  We have witnessed a few chasing bouts throughout the enclosure, especially on the warmer days.  Some days it’s Grizzer chasing Luna, other days, it’s Luna chasing Grizzer, but it does seem that both are tolerating their various medical conditions quite well. 

Grayson – Adapting to Changes

Grayson is in tune with the pack focus when it is directed toward Aidan.  He often does a low throated howl directed towards the pack or if wolf care are in the enclosure, directed right at the wolf care staff.  This communication is not the higher pitched rallying howls, but seems to be stress induced .  We know this winter has been hard for Grayson; Aidan was the one that calmed his anxiety in the weeks following the introduction, intervened on his behalf when the winter dominance increased and would share his food resources when Denali wouldn’t let Grayson near the carcass.  All of this has changed and Grayson needs to adapt to the changes.  He is very similar in personality to Aidan when he was an omega yearling and we all know how that situation changed.  We are focusing on keeping Grayson healthy, building his food resources and monitoring times when he is most anxious with a distraction for not only Grayson, but the pack as well. 

Denali resting

Denali – Life has been Easier

Despite some attention from Axel and Grayson, Denali has had an easier winter season with Aidan’s loss of confidence.  In the past, when Aidan wasn’t confident enough to take on some of the testing juveniles, he always had the confidence to assert status over Denali and would redirect on a daily basis.  Since mid-January, Denali no longer has that control and seems to take this freedom to reassert some status over Grayson.  Needless to say, this transition has been hard for Grayson.  Not only did Grayson have the strongest bonds with Aidan, but he also sought comfort in having Aidan control some of the exuberance within the pack.  By the show of Denali’s T-1 tail posture and the excitement of a tail-wagging rally, Denali is the likely instigator of some of that exuberant pack behavior. 

Aidan – Tolerance but still Lacking in Confidence

Aidan has been spending the last few weeks on a cover hay mound of snow in front of the windows.  This height advantage definitely makes him more tolerant of the pack during the daily rallies.  This confidence has led to Aidan taking his morning supplements at the fence.  This hasn’t occurred since mid-January when this whole situation started, so it could be a response of him gaining more confidence or an indication of the seasonal change of more calming behavioral patterns. There are some limits, Aidan still doesn’t go beyond the safety of the lower enclosure.  When the pack takes a run up to the top of the hill, Aidan will prance back, displaying a stiff-leg jump in excitement, but confident enough to follow. 

Grizzer – Using his DewClaw

Wolves have 4 toes and a front dewclaw which some question as to functionality.  Grizzer is giving a lesson in grooming that involves the use of his dewclaw to comb ice and snow from his hide.  To say that wolf care staff cherish every day we spend with Grizzer is an understatement.   He will be 14 years of age on May 5th and we can’t help to think of those wolves that are “Gone but not Forgotten” who succumb to various issues at this age.  Grizzer is more alert and more active than he has been in years.  Luna may have something to do with this, but we certainly don’t have anything on our radar that makes us think he will decline anytime soon.  His weights on March 2nd were at a solid 115 pounds which is higher than he’s been in the last few spring weights. 

Denali- Great Conformation

This week’s photo was taken by Christina Rizzo while visiting the Center for a recent Wildlife Photography session with Heidi Pinkerton.  Denali has had a great winter.  Denali’s longer than average body had issues with some mid-back sagging as he aged.  Thanks to the training in body-work we received from Sandy Prantl over the past two years, Denali has been the welcome recipient of some rib-lifts that keeps his back straight and is a great opportunity for staff to assess his physical condition.  We did not get a weight on Denali this month, but he is looking good and certainly able to keep up with his younger pack mates.

Boltz -Personal Space

We’ve definitely witnessed a lot of behaviors this winter.  Boltz has shown some status and focus that was hard to imagine last summer when his insect phobia kept him away from the pack.  It will be interesting to see him find his place and get so excited in a pack rally.  Grayson is much more receptive to his leadership than Axel, so time will tell to see where this pack goes from here.