Staff noticed some changes in dynamics last week between MacKenzie and Lakota. The changes were subtle; MacKenzie had a slight bite wound on her nose, not uncommon between animals that communicate with their mouths, but worth noting in the logs. Most interesting was the sleeping arrangements of the wolves. Sometimes sleeping arrangements can tell who's on the outs in the group dynamics. MacKenzie has had her favorite sleeping area since she entered the Retirement enclosure. She prefers the back corner, where she has a great view of the Exhibit pack as well as the pathway for any wildlife outside of the enclosure. Staff always make sure it has ample straw, is cleaned and prepared for her to be most comfortable. Last week during a wolf check, Lakota was laying in that bed and MacKenzie was looking a bit submissive in the center of the enclosure. There was no other sign of dominance between the females, but this subtle change in behavior was worth noting. Staff also thought MacKenzie was looking a bit thinner than usual. Curator Lori Schmidt, gave MacKenzie a special diet to watch her feeding response and scat analysis was completed. On Friday, MacKenzie was given a large deer leg with about 15 lbs of meat, which she readily ate. Her activity level is back up. She may have just had a few off days that were enough for Lakota to try to climb rank. Even at 12, the social order is important. Staff will continue to monitor the behavior of this pack and MacKenzie's attitude and activity.
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As the weather changes, so does the clothing requirements of the handlers. The pups are getting familiar with wool gloves on handlers hands, and all of the extra "hide" the handlers need to work in the enclosure. The pups have been videotaped and photographed with the backdrop of red maple leaves and the yellow hue of Aspen, but it was the first snowfall of the year that made the staff get the cameras. The first snowfall of the year came on Friday afternoon, October 6th. The entire pack was stimulated and were observed rolling in the snow and jumping at low hanging branches which resulted in snow dropping on their heads. The pups are well suited for winter conditions and their thick pelage seemed to shed the wet snow with much more efficiency then the adults.
Some gut piles from these carcasses were left adjacent to the enclosure for Ravens to scavenge. There was even an Eagle observed in a dead top white pine near the enclosure. There are plans being developed to build an 8 foot high feeding platform in the wolf enclosure to give the Ravens a place to perch and feed without being chased off by the wolves. The plan includes and enhanced microphone system in the enclosure so visitors can hear the diverse vocalizations of Ravens and begin to learn about the importance of scavengers in the ecological system.
Malik doesn't seem to fight the lower ranking position much, he generally ends up there because he falls over and doesn't attempt to get up. In other situations his less coordinated efforts seem to appear to be a factor (foot stuck in the door, falling off rocks, falling in holes), we wonder if he gets older and more coordinated, will the dominance encounters turn out differently?
Another question that is on the mind of wolf care staff is "When will the pups no longer able to feed first on a carcass"? At this time, if the pups are able to get to the carcass before the adults, they will be allowed to feed with relatively few challenges, except from Lakota, who doesn't generally show the same attitude toward the pups as Lucas and Mackenzie. Staff will be monitoring this closely to note if this behavior changes and what circumstances may have contributed to the change.
Malik had a medical exam today as part of the Exhibit Pack management plan. He was given an excellent condition status, with no notable problems with his hips or physical condition. He appears to have gained weight since last fall, he was 86 lbs in November '04, now weighs 89.5 lbs. Malik's medical exam team members included: Team Leader, Andrea Nelson, Joyce Wells and Susan Meyers.
Nyssa is doing well, she continues to be the dominant force on the carcass, proving that possession rights are more important than rank when it comes to defending a deer carcass. She's been a bit more interested in play behavior lately, maybe because Maya is more distracted with the stimulus of the pond. Nyssa didn't care much for water last summer, the same is true for the spring melt. She's more likely to be observed running around the pond, than through it.
Lori Schmidt(LS) came in to check the wolves on Christmas Day and discovered a fresh bite wound on Lakota's right rear flank. The wound was still fresh, and was still bleeding. LS isolated Lakota and cleaned her wounds, but Lakota was hesitant to allow a complete examination. Daytime temperatures were well below zero making a complete cleansing of the wound a posssible risk for Lakota. When Lakota was released into the main enclosure, Lucas aggressively charged her and drove her to the den, the other wolves did not interact.
The wolves were very playful this week as the weather got cooler. Nighttime lows were down in the 20's and the pups seemed well suited for these nights. One of the Wolf Care staff described the pups as "rammy". Malik got his foot caught in the gate trying to get into the pack holding area. After several seconds of distress, he freed it. Those paws are getting bigger and don't fit in the places that they used to. Of course, Malik's whining in distress brought Lakota immediately over to see if she could take advantage of his situation, but the Wolf Curator stepped in and helped Malik maintain control.
Wolf Care recently received an extremely generous donation from Rene and Pat Woodworth. Rene was a Pup Nanny this summer and Pat Woodworth is on the Center's Board of Directors. The donation is designated for enclosure improvements to replace a temporary vestibule outside of the pup enclosure with a permanent fence complete with a 2 foot overhang. This enclosure improvement will greatly improve security when moving wolves between enclosures. The entire Wolf Care staff thanks the Woodworth's for this generous donation and we hope to start construction before the ground freezes.
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