Maya was very intense in the reintroduction of the pups. In the first few seconds of filming, the camera had to be shut off as she was trying to jump the fence to get in to see them. We thought she would be far more aggressive, but when the door was opened, she ran to investigate the enclosure, while the pups ran out to chase Malik. She did continue to assert more dominance over Aidan than Denali, and she immediately investigated his suture site. Aidan and Denali both ignored the sutures, but once Maya focused on them, Aidan began licking and chewing. We distracted a bit and checked the site, and all is intact, but this is why we hold them off so there is at least 24 hours if not longer. This time, we waited 42 hours before returning the pups. We have to weigh the consequences of waiting too long and having the pack reject them versus letting them back too soon and having sutures compromised. One other management strategy is providing fresh straw. Maya does like to lay on the den site with fresh straw, and that helps keep her calm.
A temporary fence was constructed in the pen today, designed to keep the wolves in the back wooded portion of the main enclosure when the pond and den are constructed in front of the exhibit. The wolves were given a light sedative and did extremely well with the noise and traffic of construction and behind the scenes programs.
Lakota has been very active during these cold days. She was seen running around the enclosure and going into the pond by staff members. It is true that she is the omega of the pack, but her physical condition is much better that Lucas and Mackenzie's. She is always the first one to approach the fence on the daily check up.
All wolves received good attention today, Shadow allowed staff to brush him without any problems (he usually doesn't like being brushed like the adults), he also allowed full manipulation of his ears, but it was cool enough that the wolves didn't need ointment. Vitamins to all wolves
Shadow, Grizzer and Maya were all at the gate when I moved them toward the Retired Enclosure, and Shadow actively dominated the pups, especially Aidan who was actively seeking acceptance. This is reassuring to the pups that the dominant male shows them that they are accepted in the pack, and what their role is. Once the pups felt assured that they were still pack members (mainly Aidan), Shadow spent time investigating the Retired Enclosure. When moving the pack back into the Exhibit, Shadow didn’t want to leave. This bodes well for his inevitable retirement, to know that he is so comfortable, although as you watch the video, this wolf is still confident. One other indication that the pups were well accepted was Shadow’s calm demeanor as he watched from on top of the den guarding his deer leg. He has the look of all being well in his pack, despite Maya’s short outbursts of dominance.
Aidan did extremely well after his surgery and continues to associate most with Shadow in the pack. Maya has her moments, but her aggressive behavior has subsided a bit, and she has eased up on Aidan. Visitors often ask if we think the pups will test for dominance or climb in rank. At this point, they are very willing to submit and show no signs of climbing rank. Shadow and Maya are healthy dominant pack leaders and are clearly setting the tone for this pack.
Malik is doing well, and while he gets some foreleg stabs or grab bites in on Grizzer, he is much more relaxed than previous winters. Malik is the barometer of this pack, when he's nervous, that means there's some underlying tension in the male rank order. It's been a refreshing change to do wolf care with the pack so relaxed, it gives us time to teach the pups some rules about greeting staff and gate manners.
I am sorry to say that Lakota, our last remaining member of the 1993 litter, was euthanized today at 3:30pm. She lived an incredible life as an ambassador wolf for the International Wolf Center. At 15 1/2 years of age, her metabolic system had started to show signs of decline. This was a fairly fast onset of decline, as you can see from the weblogs that she was still up and active as of the last posting on November 3rd; however, 15 1/2 years is old. In the last few days, she stopped taking her medication and stopped eating any food. When wolf care staff came in for wolf care this morning, she got up, came to the wolf yard and entered the lab (we leave the door open so she can come and go as she pleases), then went to the back side of the new retired enclosure area and laid down in the wooded portion. She was unwilling to get up, showing some intense shaking and muscle spasms. Staff covered her with a sleeping bag, and were able to deliver her anti-inflammatory medication, giving her some relief. After some time, she willingly got up and moved to the den box. It’s not uncommon for animals to retreat to places away from people before they die. This same behavior was noted on Thursday afternoon, but again, staff worked diligently to get her up and into the den box. A consultation with Dr. Hanson, our veterinarian, led to the assessment that her system was shutting down, and while the anti-inflammatory provided some relief, her condition was declining. All of the Ely staff were able to spend time with her in her final hours. While it is sad to lose such an important part of our wolf care program, it is comforting to know that Lakota had a great life and was a vital part of our educational mission.
Grizzer continues to be very calm with the pups, tolerating most of their actions, but when there’s new straw on top of the den and he wants to rest there, the pup’s interference is too much. As his video shows, he is asserting his dominance, but it’s with a fairly controlled muzzle bite.
Maya has reduced the amount of time focusing on Aidan which is typical of spring. We are now waiting for the ice to thaw in the pond drain to begin the spring cleaning process of getting the winter straw removed from the enclosure, another sign of spring.
The International Wolf Center advances the survival of wolf populations by teaching about wolves, their relationship to wildlands and the human role in their future.