I hope everyone has a healthy and happy New Year. The wolves are all doing well and are having a calm winter. We have not experienced temperatures in the sub zero range, which usually drives a bit of wolf aggression. We would like to announce that the Pup Care Program Applications are online at www.wolf,org. Select the Programs Tab, click on Educational Programs and you will find the applications under the Seminars title. We are adamant that special training and an understanding of wolf behavior is critical before interacting with wolf pups. This program is only available to individuals who have been previously involved in the pup care program or who have participated in the Planning for Pups prerequisite seminars offered during the summer of 2011 or 2007. Applications will be accepted until February 1st, and teams will be assembled and notified by March 15th.
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Shadow didn't have as much anxiety over Malik's possession of the deer head, at least in comparison to the last big possession that included a stash in the den. The two wolves are frequently on camera together in the den or on top of the den, and don't have much strife other than a few chin rests by Shadow. We've had a good week of staff interaction with Shadow. Of all the wolves on site, Shadow is the most animated in his greetings to wolf care staff.
On last Monday's wolf check, staff noticed the Aidan and Denali at the top of the enclosure, hopping and tail wagging with hackles. They were not interacting with each other, just running the fence line. When staff went to the top of the hill, they spotted a wild wolf at the secondary security fence, looking in at the Exhibit Pack. When staff yelled, the wolf ran back in the woods. Aidan was most territorial in his behavior, posturing along the fence and doing an RLU near the tree line after the wolf left. He then proceeded to assert some dominance over Denali.
You may have noticed a little discoloration of Aidan's nose in recent photos. Initially, we thought that he may have scraped his nose trying to cache in the lack of snow. The ground is frozen and without a protective layer of snow, the wolves try to cache and push frozen soil. But, we also experienced another similar condition with a wolf in 2001. Lucas, the dominant male of the Exhibit Pack, had a similar condition that advanced to a stage of total pigmentation loss on his nose and on the pads of his paws. A medical exam in 2001, with the help of a tissue biopsy, diagnosed this condition as Vitiligo. There are several possible causes, but there is some evidence that this is an auto-immune disorder. We have been inspecting Aidan's paws, and see no evidence of pigmentation loss on his pads. Both Aidan and Denali are scheduled for a complete medical exam in 2012, and a tissue biopsy can be collected. At this point, there appears to be no other issues or problems. We will certainly review Lucas's medical files to understand the progression and our successful treatment of this in the past.
I hope everyone has a healthy and happy New Year. The wolves are all doing well and are having a calm winter. We have not experienced temperatures in the sub zero range, which usually drives a bit of wolf aggression. We would like to announce that the Pup Care Program Applications are online at www.wolf,org. Select the Programs Tab, click on Educational Programs and you will find the applications under the Seminars title. We are adamant that special training and an understanding of wolf behavior is critical before interacting with wolf pups. This program is only available to individuals who have been previously involved in the pup care program or who have participated in the Planning for Pups prerequisite seminars offered during the summer of 2011 or 2007. Applications will be accepted until February 1st, and teams will be assembled and notified by March 15th.
Denali had a similar response to the cornish game hen as Aidan. Scent rolling on foreign smells is in the canid genes. Another behavior that seems to be innate is the desire for testing whenever possible. If there's a chance for Denali to show some high tail and status, he takes it. Of course, Aidan is a pretty formidable packmate and Denali's tests usually result in some following behavior from Aidan, but it is good exercise for them both.
The Retired Pack has been enjoying a nice warm winter. January went on record as being the warmest recorded month in the area which suits these nearly 13 year old wolves just fine. They were very active and did several snowplows in the fresh snow.
Written by Pups at One Year program participant: Pam Dolajeck & Lori Rhodes During the Pups at One Year program, Mackenzie interacted with participants frequently despite being very stiff on Saturday (6/4/05). She is showing her age, but still wants to greet visitors.
The last weekend of October will be a Working for Wolves weekend. Lucas will be anxious to get his den box out of the dirt pile Lakota created, so he can actually walk into it rather than crawl in a 12 inch space.
Due to the weekend blizzard and the resulting time spent shoveling and blowing snow, the wolf logs will all be the same today. Despite windchills in the 30 to 40 below range and nearly a foot of snow, the wolves are doing great. These are animals that are clearly adapted to winter environments and they are much more comfortable than during a warm summer day. Staff provide straw beds to give them a comfortable place to rest and insulates them from the cold ground, the dens are dry and well covered in straw, but unless the wind is bad, the wolves usually don't use the densites. Staff make sure there are plenty of scraps available for a quick snack, and the water heaters are monitored daily to ensure there is always a fresh, warm source of water. We are aware of some issues with the pond cam's exposure problems, and we are doing some adjusting to see if we can repair it, thanks for your emails about the issue. I hope to get a youtube video posted later in the week, filmed on a -26 below morning to show the activity levels of the wolves in these temperatures.
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