Shadow has been in a good mood with the wolves, but the onset of winter has created a bit of testing of staff. Shadow is a complex individual that has many qualities of leadership. He does seem to have something special with Denali, and shows very little dominance over Denali, and very little tolerance if Grizzer dominantes Denali or if staff show any boundaries to Denali. This is difficult to comprehend, as Shadow is tested by Denali as often as Grizzer is, but at this time, Shadow doesn't seem to take Denali's behavior as a threat. Time will tell how this relationship changes, but at this time, the pack is very calm, and Shadow is a great guardian of the pack.
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The logs will all be the same this week due to some other obligations of the Curator. Malik has adjusted well to the new privacy fence erected on the fence line facing the Exhibit Pack. He still has an area to view the pack between the fences at the main entrance gate, but by having the 100 foot wall protected, it gives him more security. There was a lot of debate about the wood privacy fence among staff. We weren’t certain that he would have more anxiety if he could hear the pack, but not see them. We also had to determine if his anxiety was about getting back in with the pack, rather than not being the focus of the pack. If he wanted to get back in with them, he would likely become more excited at the lack of visual connection. If he was insecure about them seeing him, and wanted to be protected from them, then he would likely relax. The fact that he was sleeping comfortably in his den within 15 minutes of the fence completion is probably indicative of an attitude that he wanted protection from the pack. He is very relaxed, and as I write this (we have a security camera on him so he is always visible in the lab), he is very relaxed, watching ravens on his food caches. Many people have asked when we will put a webcam on his enclosure, at this time, we don’t want to make any changes to his environment, and want to give him time to adjust. The webcam boxes are large and bulky, necessary to keep the cameras heated in winter, but a bit intrusive for a wolf that is getting used to his life and enclosure. He will be filmed for the weekly YouTube video, and when he is ready, there will be a camera. The main pack is very calm, Maya and Aidan still have some issues, actually, Maya is just dominant, she has no issue. Shadow is extremely social with all pack members, and Denali likes to wrestle, eat and foreleg stab at things. Grizzer is extremely calm, and the removal of the stress between he and Malik has done wonders for him, and the pack tension overall.
We can always tell when Aidan's comfort level is increased by seeing him towards the front of the Exhibit. He's been very interactive and social lately, but still very cautious of Maya's place in the enclosure. Recent gifts of pigs ears and beef bones have been a welcome distraction for the pack, and while Aidan initially has to deal with the competition of the other pack members, staff always make sure he gets his share. With temperatures below zero each night, ample straw beds are placed throughout the enclosure to ensure all wolves are warm and comfortable. Aidan seems to have the prime real estate, the main den. In the YouTube video this week, Aidan gets a bit excited with a beef bone, and his exuberant scent rolling draws Maya's attention.
Grizzer and Denali have definitely formed a strong social bond, wrestling with each other, and sharing carcasses during a feeding with no aggression. The combined weight of these two make this duo something to take seriously. So far, they haven't shown any aggression towards Shadow, but if Denali is wrestling with Aidan, Grizzer may join in, definitely outweighing Aidan. If either Denali or Grizzer test Shadow this winter, it will be interesting to see if this alliance will make the difference in either one of them winning some status.
Karen Pajari spent 3 days observing the pack after Malik’s retirement and provided the following observations. Grizzer walked and ran along the retirement enclosure fence with Maya, Shadow, and Denali and spent several periods biting at the lock of the holding pen and trying to move the rocks away from that fence line. This is how Grizzer displays anxiety, and certainly indicates that the issues between he and Malik were not over. This helps support the decision to retire Malik. It was observed that Grizzer and Denali were virtually always together. Denali would foreleg stab him, jaw-sparred with him, ride up on his back, and nip his rump. He did occasionally growl at Denali and chase him but also rolled onto his back briefly. This is probably indicative of Denali testing, and it will be important to see how Grizzer responds. Grizzer is part of the chorus howl initiated by Shadow, and remains timid to Shadow’s dominance. This month’s Podcast will review the USDA incident report concerning the aggressive incident that prompted Malik’s retirement and the subsequent management challenges.
Karen Pajari spent 3 days observing the pack after Malik’s retirement and provided the following observations. With Malik’s retirement, we anticipated a different response from each wolf based on their relationship with Malik. Shadow is his littermate, and we anticipated behavioral changes. Shadow lead several howls in the days following Malik’s retirement with frequent visits along the pack holding area fence line. Two days post retirement, Shadow spent most of his time up in the woods, but that may have been more associated with a deer torso than the retirement. By Friday, he was actively moving about the wolf yard, scent marking with RLU'S, resting on his side or in a sphinx posture just inside the tree line, easily visible and able to see the yard. He remains very social to all pack members as this week’s Youtube will demonstrate. This month’s Podcast will review the USDA incident report concerning the aggressive incident that prompted Malik’s retirement and the subsequent management challenges.
Malik continues to have howling communication between the pack, but it appears that Shadow is the most likely to respond to him. This is a good sign which indicates that there is still a relationship between the litter mates, and when the time comes to retire Shadow, this will be important. Malik has received more staff attention in the last month than he had in the last several years, so life in retirement for him has had some experiences, not to mention, he never has to wait for food, or compete, except for a few over confident ravens.
Shadow's been very social with the group, and was observed in an invite chase behavior, where he encouraged Grizzer and Denali to chase him around the enclosure. This is a sign of a confident animal, and it is great to see him so relaxed. Aidan looks to Shadow for reassurance, and with Shadow calm, the pack dynamics seems to be calmer.
The logs will all be the same this week due to some other obligations of the Curator. Malik has adjusted well to the new privacy fence erected on the fence line facing the Exhibit Pack. He still has an area to view the pack between the fences at the main entrance gate, but by having the 100 foot wall protected, it gives him more security. There was a lot of debate about the wood privacy fence among staff. We weren’t certain that he would have more anxiety if he could hear the pack, but not see them. We also had to determine if his anxiety was about getting back in with the pack, rather than not being the focus of the pack. If he wanted to get back in with them, he would likely become more excited at the lack of visual connection. If he was insecure about them seeing him, and wanted to be protected from them, then he would likely relax. The fact that he was sleeping comfortably in his den within 15 minutes of the fence completion is probably indicative of an attitude that he wanted protection from the pack. He is very relaxed, and as I write this (we have a security camera on him so he is always visible in the lab), he is very relaxed, watching ravens on his food caches. Many people have asked when we will put a webcam on his enclosure, at this time, we don’t want to make any changes to his environment, and want to give him time to adjust. The webcam boxes are large and bulky, necessary to keep the cameras heated in winter, but a bit intrusive for a wolf that is getting used to his life and enclosure. He will be filmed for the weekly YouTube video, and when he is ready, there will be a camera. The main pack is very calm, Maya and Aidan still have some issues, actually, Maya is just dominant, she has no issue. Shadow is extremely social with all pack members, and Denali likes to wrestle, eat and foreleg stab at things. Grizzer is extremely calm, and the removal of the stress between he and Malik has done wonders for him, and the pack tension overall.
The wolves are all doing well, and the wolf care staff certainly are appreciative of all the support from members and viewers of the wolf logs. As always, the wolf care staff will be doing wolf care throughout the holidays and people can rest assured that the wolves and wolf care will always main our first priority at the International Wolf Center. Have a great holiday season, and check out the Youtube video, it shows the pack in good spirits, especially Grizzer and Denali who have become great pals. Malik is joining in on pack howls, and has adjusted well to life in retirement.
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