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.
At 3:30 pm, all wolves howled at a fire siren with the exception of Mackenzie who didn't even lift her head from her sleeping position (she's still tired from the introduction). The pack rally lasted 4 minutes and the pups readily joined in but didn't run to any of the adults. Lucas howled from the greeting rock and Lakota howled next to the rock.
Sorry for the lapse in logs, I was at 2 professional conferences in the last two weeks; Wolf Care staff took great care of the wolves in my absence. MacKenzie remains very alert and healthy this winter. She is very tuned in to the actions of the main exhibit and has her own special bed adjacent to the fence closest to the main exhibit. Her health continues to be good, and her eye condition has had a bit of a coloration change, but no real indication that it's causing her any discomfort. A vet check was postponed recently due to a medical situation for the vet, but will be rescheduled soon.
Donna Prichard (wolf nanny) writes: The pups continue to grow and exhibit more and more wolf behaviors. Their bodies are also beginning to take on the shape of adults. Shadow continues to show some sign of fear when large groups of people come too close, so I step in to calm him down. On the other hand, Malik is more bold and does not seem to show any fear of people. Malik and Shadow have been displaying caching behaviors and aggressions over food. This week, Shadow began shaking food items, such as an adult wolf would with a hare, for example. Both pups have definitely displayed unique individual characteristics which define them. Being a nanny has been a wonderful, enlightening learning experience. I hope to return to the wolf center often to see Malik and Shadow in their roles of ambassador wolves.
All's well in retirement, not much to report. New straw, warm weather and sunny days makes for a good day when you're nearing 13… Lakota still likes a good chase around the enclosure and uses the log bench to climb on the den box.
Maya can best be described as alert and always investigating. I know we've said it before, but she has a predatory instinct that is easily stimulated. Whether it's stalking Grizzer, ravens or snowflakes, she's very efficient in a stalk, lunge, chase behavioral sequence.
Nyssa is doing well. She's still the master of the carcass and can intimidate just about any wolf with a direct gaze, barred teeth and a bit of a lunge. In this week's photo, Grizzer is showing submissive posture and doesn't want to get in Nyssa's way, even though he has about 25 lbs on her.
MALIK: Weight: 28.0 lbs. Length: 47.0" Canines: 1/2" SHADOW: Weight: 29.0 lbs. Length: 47.6" Canines: 1/2" (an adult canine is emerging within Shadow's mouth) Observations noted this week: -Shadow's permanent upper left canine broke through early this week -Both pups eyes are now changing from blue to yellow -The pups have been weaned. Formula is no longer added to their food -Malik chewed on fallen hail during a recent thunderstorm -Malik continues to submit to us when greeting -Both pups have been easily excited over a deer leg within the auditorium enclosure -Shadow received a small scratch on his nose from Malik; the scab is healing well
MacKenzie has been doing well, as you can see from the video, there is no expense spared when it comes to thick, straw beds that keep the wolves warm. You will see in this week’s video, that MacKenzie is enjoying a beaver carcass. We increase the feeding of beaver during the cold weather since it has a high fat content. MacKenzie had another great visit, fully submitting on her back to Laurie Feela. There were no signs of pain or discomfort. During this cold spell, both Mac and Lakota are getting warmed meat and chicken on a nearly daily basis, which helps their older metabolism.
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.