Mackenzie very dominant over the yearlings. Construction work started in the pen for the new pond. Wolves were held off for the entire day behind the temporary fence. When the wolves were returned back into the main enclosure, they became very interested in the electrical box that was installed yesterday. Wolf care staff hauled several loads of rock to deter digging. The pond will be a welcome source of stimulus to focus the energies of the yearlings. We anxiously await the start and completion of this project.
Mackenzie very dominant over the yearlings. Construction work started in the pen for the new pond. Wolves were held off for the entire day behind the temporary fence. When the wolves were returned back into the main enclosure, they became very interested in the electrical box that was installed yesterday. Wolf care staff hauled several loads of rock to deter digging. The pond will be a welcome source of stimulus to focus the energies of the yearlings. We anxiously await the start and completion of this project.
Good interactions with all wolves, vitamins to all. There were 2 additional signs of digging by electrical boxes wolf care staff filled them with rocks to secure the area. The addition of the pond will certainly keep the yearlings occupied. The wolf care staff will begin the task of developing enclosure enrichment projects to occupy the high energy yearlings through the winter.
Second day of holding pen use for fence construction, wolves seemed more stressful today, with Shadow becoming extremely nervous when a visitor on crutches came to the fence. Shadow's anxiety caused Lakota to begin pacing and both wolves were given an additional dose of sedatives to relax them. Mackenzie and Lucas slept most of the day and Malik seemed to follow their lead. Construction projects with wolves can never be predictable and are generally kept to a minimum. This is the reason the temporary fence was built to hold the wolves in the back of the exhibit during the main construction which may last 21 days. The wolves are likely to be more relaxed in the back acre of woodland than the 100 foot holding area.
Shadow killed a red squirrel, so all wolves were very interested in his possession, limited staff interaction, wolves remained in upper enclosure.
Feeding program, Mackenzie took off with a deer leg, Lakota, Lucas, Shadow and Malik all shared the main carcass.
Jen Westlund brought Peter Kramer to the fence (Peter helped raise the pups this summer) all wolves but Lucas greeted and all were very relaxed. Peter did outer enclosure check with Jen and helped pick up a roadkill deer carcass. Thank You Peter…
Nancy Gibson and Dave Mech visited the Center and spent time with the pack. The wolves were quite excited at first, but then calmed down. Lucas showed some avoidance of both Dave and Nancy, a behavior that has been observed by other staff in recent weeks.
Cooler weather brings more play behavior for pups Fall colors peaked this week and provided for good backdrop for photographs First snowfall of the year on 6 October, entire pack stimulated to play Pups weighed on 6 October, both pups weighed 62 lbs. Nancy Gibson and Dave Mech visit the center and have good interaction with the pack 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. 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.
Former curator Janice Templeton visited the wolves today and had a very good visit. The yearlings calmed down quickly, especially since Mackenzie and Lucas were actively dominating them. Lakota was very relaxed except when the yearlings were too close. Lakota's wounds are healing well, wolves have a great ability to heal themselves and it appears that Mackenzie and Lucas are frequently dominating the yearlings. Shadow and Malik submissively rolled over to Janice in a subordinate posture. All seemed very relaxed. Lucas's condition causing pigmentation loss seems to have subsided. He is active, appears healthy and has a black nose again.
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.