Luna – Grizzled Gray

Luna’s in the midst of shedding her uncoat.  Much of this undercoat is light in color that makes her appearance look a bit modeled in color.  But, if you look closely, you will see her guard hairs are starting to show some graying coloration.  It’s common to see wolves as they approach 5 or 6 years of age to start graying at the muzzle.  Luna continues to receive body work from the staff and we have noticed a significant amount of muscle development in the past several months.  We will be weighing her in the next week to see how she is progressing with her weight loss.  Once she lost most of her hair, we get a much clearer view of her muscle development. 

Aidan – Results of a Medical Exam

As you may recall, we attempted to complete Aidan’s medical exam on April 17th, but Aidan was resistant the effects of the drugs and we had to postpone it.  Since that time, we have been monitoring a growth on his front leg that seemed to be growing at a faster rate and we had ongoing concerns with his discoid lupus and possible correlations with tumors.  In consultation with our veterinarian, we are always suspect of fast growing growths on a 9-year old wolf.  On June 7th, we completed an immobilization and took him to the vet clinic for x-rays, blood work and a removal of the growth.  He has had an odd back leg  on and off for the last few months, but the x-rays showed good hip and knee conformation, so the stance issue could be related to a nerve condition.   We are still investigating correlations with his discoid lupus and some of the digestive issues that cause him to be slow in processing food after feeding.  He is currently on Metoclopramide and Pepcid AC to aid some of his digestive discomfort and he seems to have improved in that aspect.  The biopsy from the growth was diagnosed as a Low Grade Mast Cell Tumor which is a better scenario than a High grade Tumor which has a less favorable prognosis.   Our Vet was able to get all of the tumor creating clear margins, which is important with this type of growth.  There is no indication that the tumor had metastasized or begun to spread to surrounding tissues (via the bloodstream or lymph) and start new tumors.  Staff are diligent during wolf care checks to monitor for any abnormalities whether they be external parasites, scrapes, bites or growths, especially on our older ambassadors.  It is important to understand the process of veterinary care on the pack leader,  Aidan couldn’t be removed from the pack for this procedure or for any recovery time.  If we took him out, the pack could be testing upon his return, especially Boltz.  We managed this scenario with the pack going into the east side retirement area and Aidan recovering within the Exhibit.  The immobilization drugs were completely reversible, but because he was also under gas anesthesia during surgery, he needed a bit more time.  Aidan was at the clinic by 7:30 am, back on site by 8:30 am and the yearlings (who were less than a threat to him) were back with him by 11 am.  Denali and Boltz waited a few more hours before joining the pack in the heat of the day, when the wolves are least active.  We saw some interesting behavior with Grayson actually blocking Denali from approaching Aidan.  One of our staff witnessed Aidan, licking his leg while it was lying on top of Grayson’s back.  Of course, we would rather he didn’t lick it, but he is keeping it clean.  The Wolf Curator spent the first night on site to monitor activities and saw a similar alliance with Grayson and Aidan though the night.  While Aidan initially spent time away from the pack in the upper enclosure, by the 3rd day, he was back in charge of the pack and interacting in all activities, even running with the pack.  We are continuing to treat the suture site with a topical wound powder and are very glad we were able to successfully keep the pack structure in tact while tending to Aidan’s very important needs. 

Luna – Meeting her Needs

Staff continue to do body work on Luna whenever she feels good enough for hands on work.  She will back right over to staff when she wants the work or do an inhibited bite of the hand when she doesn’t.  If you are interested in learning more about our techniques for Luna, we will be featuring a webinar from the  practitioner who originally did the consolation last summer.  Here’s the link for the webinar – Sunday June 25th at 10 am Central.   If you are in Ely, she will also be doing private consultations with dog owners on Sunday afternoon and Monday. 

The biggest news for Luna is our desire to get her weight back down to ~95 pounds.  We spent the winter trying to work on the relationship with Grizzer and Luna and discovered that Luna took a few too many cache’s from Grizzer.  Grizzer is now at the age (and teeth wear) that requires smaller, more frequent meals and less bigger amounts to cache.  Luna is on the diet associated with a younger, pack life.  She gets to gorge on Saturday night, stimulating her stomach receptors to hold a larger volume of meat, then gets a smaller mid-week meal on Wednesdays.  We want her to lose weight, but we are managing it slowly.   So, here are Luna’s weights in the past, we want to turn back the clock to 2015, a weight of 95 – 98 pounds would be ideal for her physical condition. 

Date

Age

Weight in Pounds

6/4/13

Yearling

79.4

8/14/13

1.5 years

82.1

6/13/14

~2 years

91.7

5/1/15

~3 years

97.0

6/10/16

~4 years

98.7

4/10/17*

~ 5 years 1 month

111

6/2/17*

~5 years 3 months

108

*shared enclosure with Grizzer since 11/201

*changed feeding protocols for Grizzer reducing excess caches in the enclosure

    

Denali – A Lot of Hair for the Start of Summer

Denali has always been the last wolf to shed his undercoat.  We continue to brush him to encourage shedding, but there is a lot more hair to remove before the hot days of summer.  People often comment about Denali’s coloration.  He is more golden brown in coloration than Aidan, but as he ages, he has some interesting patterns of white on his head and down the middle of his muzzle.  It may be another month before all of his undercoat has shed.  In contrast, the pups have completed the shed process and the remainder of the ambassador wolves are in varying stages of a summer coat.  Most have kept the hair around their necks.  When working with the wolves, we often like to have another perspective on the wolves behavior that is independent of our wolf care time.  From January – April, the Vermilion Community College Ethology class completed 100 hours of observation on the Exhibit Pack and had the following assessment on Denali:

“Denali has the advantage of being the largest current pack member. He and Aidan are also most senior. Regardless, he shows little interest in rank or dominance. His days of testing other pack members may be behind him. Rather, Denali seems most comfortable when left to his own devices (commonly demonstrated by a relaxed T3 position, delayed participation in or abstention of group behaviors, and the ignoring of others).

Despite Denali’s showing physical signs of aging (i.e. lightening of his pelage and long periods of rest), he continues to display an inquisitive, almost pup-like set of investigatory behaviors. Whether he is observing from a resting position (e.g. RSX with EP or EPTS) or actively investigating (WK, RN, SF, SCP, PA, etc.), his frequent pricked ears and wagging tail demonstrate a continued interest and excitement with regards to his surroundings and pack mates. Even though Denali spent most of his time resting (69%), he was often still alert and paying attention to what was going on around him. He even selected more advantageous resting locations, like above the central pump house, to oversee activity within the enclosure.

The infrequent times in which Denali displayed dominance or aggression mostly had to do with food and food possession. Even Aidan was not immune to Denali’s stares and lip curls when food was involved. Denali also spent significant time and energy dragging carcasses away from others and caching food, albeit in nearby, highly visible places like the central den.”

 

Grayson- A Cool Rock

There have been several improvements in the Exhibit Pack thanks to a generous donation from an incredibly generous young woman, Anika Hahn.  Anika chose to celebrate her Bat Mitzvah by inviting friends and family to make gifts in her honor to the International Wolf Center. To read more about Anika’s commitment to wolf education, check out the Fall 2016 Issue archived on our website https://wolf.org/wolf-info/wolf-magazine/fall-2016/.  This week’s photo shows Grayson enjoying the benefits of a rocks in the pond to climb in and out of the water and find a cool resting spot on a summer day.  This is just one of the many projects funding by Anika.  Other projects include new shade trees, rocks in the pond to allow the wolves an opportunity to climb in and out of the water, a new pump housing to protect the electrical pumps and filters needed to run the pond and a new UV filter system to reduce algae growth.  It has been a busy spring getting all of these pieces in place and the improvements to the Exhibit have been a tremendous improvement for the wolves. 

In the last month, we have noticed a significant change in Grayson’s confidence, which is a change from the observations over the winter.  He has been observed doing chin rests, stand overs and ride up’s on not only Axel, but Denali as well. 

He also have had a good growth spurt in the last month.  Here are the weights in the last few months:

Date                      Age                        Weight                 Weight Gain

4/1/17                   11 months           82.6 lbs                 3.8 lbs

5/2/17                   12 months          83.8 lbs                 1.2 lbs

6/2/17                   13 months           91.8 lbs                 8.0 lbs

To watch how the yearlings are fitting into the social rank, we rely on behavioral observations independent of the regular wolf care schedule.  Recently, the Vermilion Community College Ethology class completed 100 hours of observation on the Exhibit Pack and had the following assessment on Grayson:

“Of the adult wolves, he seemed to be most comfortable and confidant with pack leader, Aidan, especially when feeding. Grayson generally tends to avoid confrontation, however on occasion instigates/participates in dominance/submission sequences. He seems to enjoy the advantage of height, on more than one occasion walking atop the rocks near the left fence line. In one such scenario, Boltz and Axel both approached him; Axel grabbing his tail and Boltz his scruff as they pulled Grayson down from his advantageous position on the rocks. Just one of several dominance displays exerted over Grayson throughout our observations.”

Axel – Enjoying the Benefits

There have been several improvements in the Exhibit Pack thanks to a generous donation from an incredibly generous young woman, Anika Hahn.  Anika chose to celebrate her Bat Mitzvah by inviting friends and family to make gifts in her honor to the International Wolf Center. To read more about Anika’s commitment to wolf education, check out the Fall 2016 Issue archived on our website https://wolf.org/wolf-info/wolf-magazine/fall-2016/.  This week’s photo shows Axel enjoying the benefits of a new misting system to help keep the wolves cool on summer day.  This is just one of the many projects funding by Anika.  Other projects include new shade trees, rocks in the pond to allow the wolves an opportunity to climb in and out of the water, a new pump housing to protect the electrical pumps and filters needed to run the pond and a new UV filter system to reduce algae growth.  It has been a busy spring getting all of these pieces in place and the improvements to the Exhibit have been a tremendous improvement for the wolves. 

We are attempting to weigh the pups every month on their birthday.   Axel has reached 100 pounds.  As a yearling arctic wolf, this is a very good weight.  Our past arctic pack leader, Shadow only weighed 95 pounds in his prime.

Here are the weights for Axel to see his progress over the last few months:

Date                 Age                  Weight              Weight Gain

4/1/17             11 months         96.8 lbs.             4.2 lbs.

5/2/17             12 months        97.8 lbs.             1.0 lbs.

6/2/17             13 months         100.3 lbs.           2.5 lbs.

In order to assess the behaviors of maturing yearlings, we rely on outside observation programs to gather data independent of the daily wolf checks.  Recently, the Vermilion Community College Ethology class completed 100 hours of observation on the Exhibit Pack and had the following assessment on Axel:

“Axel was one of the most active wolves during our observation. He is a bold and curious wolf, and spent a lot of time interacting with the others. He was usually the first wolf to walk up to the observation area to investigate the people behind the glass, and did so more often than the other wolves. He interacted the most with his litter mate Grayson, but was not timid in front of any of the other wolves. He spent a fair amount of time with Aidan, who seemed very patient with the young wolves. Axel would often test the other wolves, even Aidan, perhaps trying to find his place in the pack. Axel seemed to be very confident. Other times he was passively submissive to Aidan when Aidan felt that he needed to show Axel his place. When Axel wasn’t interacting with the other wolves, he spent much of his time investigating. He often wandered around the enclosure and was interested in what was happening outside of the fence. Overall Axel seems to be a very confident and inquisitive wolf, and displayed a lot of investigatory behavior.”

Grizzer – Center of Attention

Grizzer has been spending more time in the Pack Holding Area where he remains near the center of the wolf yard.  But, Grizzer also remains the Center of attention for Luna.  Due to Grizzer’s age, he is now transitioned to a daily feeding of ~ 3 pounds of beef, venison, bonedust or chicken with a small Saturday carcass  so he can enjoy the behavior of carrying, caching and defending food.  So, when we feed every day, we have one staff person keeping Luna occupied in one side of retirement while Grizzer gets his dinner at another location.  Needless to say, Luna is alert to every sound of the crunching bones and clinking bowls until Grizzer has finished his dinner.  We are handfeeding Grizzer and as soon as he stops eating and starts caching, we stop feeding.  Luna has a different feeding protocol and we don’t need her eating extra food resources.  We have noticed Grizzer using the Pack Holding Area den on a regular basis.  The Working for Wolves crew built the den last fall and it’s 4 foot depth protects it from the afternoon sun.   Grizzer’s back right ACL injury has improved dramatically since the ice melted this spring.  The upcoming October Working for Wolves crew will be improving some of the ice conditions by building a protective area between the vestibules that connect the East Side Retired area to the Pack Holding Area. We weighed Grizzer on June 2nd when we weighed the pups.  Grizzer’s weight was a bit of a concern earlier in the year, but he is back to ~ 113 pounds, which is a good weight for him and not too heavy to put stress on his leg.  He is shedding in long sheets of undercoat right now.  We try to avoid any of the hard brushes on his older body, so we are letting some of the hair fall out naturally, making him look at bit more ragged than Luna.  Weight management while maintaining group dynamics takes time, staff and very close attention to detail. 

Denali – Who’s Behind Me?

When the Youtube video was processed this week, there were subtle, but significant behaviors in the Exhibit Pack.  In Aidan’s log reference was made about the blocking behavior conducted by Boltz towards Aidan while the yearlings were in the pond.  Subtle in that there was no contact, but significant in the Boltz displayed a T-2 tail while Aidan averted his gaze and walked up the hill with a low tail and flat ears.  In the following few minutes of video, video revealed Denali coming out of the pond immediately followed by Grayson.  The behavior to note is the tail postures and the ear positions.  Grayson has ears pricked forward and a tail slightly above his back (T-1), as Grayson continues to follow, Denali’s ears go flatter in submission and his tail drops lower in confidence the longer Grayson follows him.  Of course, where one yearling goes, so shall the other.  With two yearlings following Denali, it’s clear that the behavior is having a desired effect.  Denali later put up a submissive paw and submitted to Axel with Grayson “Standing Tall’ over Denali.  These subtle behaviors will be noted throughout the summer, but the real action will likely occur as the yearlings near two years of age.  Denali has been through it before with Boltz and Luna and seems to be on the alert to the events of the day.  

Grayson- Standing Tall

In this photo, notice the ears pricked forward, the extended legs and the “Standing Tall” pose of Grayson.  This is the sign of a confident wolf.  While he is still the smallest member of the pack (the yearlings will be weighed on June 2nd on their 13 month birthday), we have noticed a confidence that not only impacts the other wolves, but has been a bit challenging on our new trees.  Where Grizzer bites trees out of anxiety, Grayson focuses on new vegetation in a predatory fashion.  Grabbing, head shaking, prancing with a branch in his mouth as wolf care staff attempt to build protective rock barriers to the new trees.  The good thing is, we chose trees that are stump suckerers such as red maple and birch trees.  We can sacrifice a few upper branches as long as we can keep the root systems intact.  The roots can sucker up shoots at a later time and are less noticeable to the curious yearlings.  We had a good success rate with the trees this year, winning some and losing some, but overall, we appreciate the new shade and the cooling effect that transpiring trees have to offer the Exhibit Pack.   

Grizzer – Seeming more Social

After we received the diagnosis on Grizzer’s ALC tear, we knew that there might be modifications to his interactions with Luna.  What we didn’t know was the Grizzer didn’t approve of any plans that involved separation from Luna.  We thought separation was in his best interest to take it easy and rest, but when he was away from Luna he would whine at the fence and displayed a lot of anxiety about the separation.  We saw improvements in his gait, so we decided to allow them time together and that seems to have changed Grizzer’s overall attitude.  He is much more social with staff and tends to rest in closer proximity to Luna.  As we spoke about in the last log, he is very relaxed with the activities associated with summer.  Interns, lawn mowers, project work, behind the scenes people, he is relaxed through it all.   One of Grizzer’s stress relievers is to chew off branches from low hanging trees.  We are happy to report that all the trees we planted this spring are intact which means that Grizzer hasn’t had a need to seek out the new vegetation.  Of course, stress isn’t the only reason vegetation is a focal point; yearling curiosity can be a challenge as well.  But, at 13, Grizzer’s a bit over the novelty of wolf care staff and their forestry projects.