Vitamins and Cosequin to all- ointment to all but Shadow. Staff needs to work more with Malik and Shadow on fly ointment application and getting them more tolerant of brushing. Lakota is doing well since her reintroduction, but the heat and humidity have been keeping them less active.
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Vitamins and Cosequin given, Mackenzie's eye looks better. Trying a new fly ointment rather than a cream on the tips of the ears, we started using a wipe on lotion (Pyrethrin) to cover their entire body. The flies have been so intense that the wolves spend some of their time up in the upper enclosure.
Feeding Program was very active this evening. Malik and Lucas were on the carcass together. Lucas barred his teeth and growled whenever Shadow approached. Shadow appeared submissive and walked away, lying nearby watching Lucas and Malik eat.
Assistant Director, Gretchen Diessner did morning CVC. Lakota came down to fence by office without a problem, and then headed back to the upper enclosure when yearlings were released. Yearlings did not go to the top of the enclosure looking for Lakota and all remained quiet.
Sherry Jokinen (wolf nanny) writes: Being a Arctic wolf pup nanny has been a very rewarding and heartwarming experience. Each day there was something new, whether it was a change in the Wolf Center schedule, a pup behavioral observation or a new interaction. I will never forget being a part of their world or the socialization process. Malik and Shadow may not remember me in the future, but I am content knowing that they will hold a place in my heart forever. I have a great respect for the Wolf Center and the people who work there. You can see their commitment and dedication to education, public awareness, and keeping the animals best interests as a top priority.
Shadow is known as the red pup and Malik is known as the blue pup. May 24, 2000 The wolf pups continue to make great strides in their growth. The body length from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail is 18 1/2 inches for the red collared wolf and 18 3/4 inches for the blue one on May 24. They have begun to hear certain high pitched sounds which corresponds with their ears starting to stand up. They tend to play with each other more before feedings with one of the pups trying to dominate over the other to establish a social order within the litter. This "pecking order" will change constantly. The vocalizations have increased with the blue collared pup howling in response to whining noises by one of the handlers and the red collared pup growled for the first time on May 24. All of this development will serve the pups well in their struggle to survive.
Shadow is known as the red pup and Malik is known as the blue pup. May 24, 2000 The wolf pups continue to make great strides in their growth. The body length from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail is 18 1/2 inches for the red collared wolf and 18 3/4 inches for the blue one on May 24. They have begun to hear certain high pitched sounds which corresponds with their ears starting to stand up. They tend to play with each other more before feedings with one of the pups trying to dominate over the other to establish a social order within the litter. This "pecking order" will change constantly. The vocalizations have increased with the blue collared pup howling in response to whining noises by one of the handlers and the red collared pup growled for the first time on May 24. All of this development will serve the pups well in their struggle to survive.
May 25, 2000 The wolf pups made their second visit to the veterinarian on May 25 to get weighed. The blue collared pup now weighs 4 pounds 1 ounce and the red collared one weighs 3 pounds 14 ounces. That means they have quadrupled their weight in 17 days which is typical of wolves that need to grow rapidly in order to survive. Wolf pups need to be able to travel with the pack by the fall. Their diet is up to 18 ounces of formula per day. The vet also began their worming routine on May 25. The pups still sleep the majority of the time however they are beginning to sleep apart. They are most active right before their scheduled feeding time.
May 25, 2000 The wolf pups made their second visit to the veterinarian on May 25 to get weighed. The blue collared pup now weighs 4 pounds 1 ounce and the red collared one weighs 3 pounds 14 ounces. That means they have quadrupled their weight in 17 days which is typical of wolves that need to grow rapidly in order to survive. Wolf pups need to be able to travel with the pack by the fall. Their diet is up to 18 ounces of formula per day. The vet also began their worming routine on May 25. The pups still sleep the majority of the time however they are beginning to sleep apart. They are most active right before their scheduled feeding time.
May 30, 2000 The puppies visited the vet again on May 30 to get their weights checked and they continue to thrive with a steady weight gain. The blue-collared wolf weighs 4 pounds 13 ounces and the red-collared wolf is just slightly behind at 4 pounds 9 ounces. They are both walking well with their feet completely underneath their body. They spent part of the holiday weekend outside but they didn't travel much beyond 6 feet from their handlers. This is typical of wild wolf pups that would start to explore the immediate area around the den once they could walk. Their light colored underfur is now noticeable around their head. Their fur will start to lighten all around their body the next two weeks until they are almost blonde. The red-collared pup joined his brother for a howl on May 28.
The International Wolf Center uses science-based education to teach and inspire the world about wolves, their ecology, and the wolf-human relationship.