Malik and Shadow turned 2 years old today, Lakota was pacing and digging with construction yesterday, Vermilion students spent the day with her and she was extremely relaxed. The secret is to have staff available to distract her when the noise and construction get to be too much.
Malik and Shadow have had their fair share of canid discussions about who's really running this exhibit pack. A canid discussion is a bit different than a human discussion. There's not alot of small talk. It consists of some eye contact, a bit of body posturing, and if that doesn't do it, then a growl in your face should make you change your mind. If the growl doesn't do it, then I need to jump on you and show you who's in charge. The amazing thing about this winter, is with all the growling and dominance, there hasn't been one bite wound. Earlier in the winter, we thought Shadow had the top wolf status locked, but Malik has decided that Shadow can't get off too easy. In the last month, Malik has been showing some very defiant behavior. They're still brothers though; after a dominance bout that would make observers wonder if they even like each other, they can be found sleeping on the same straw bed. Brothers, go figure…
Nyssa has had her fair share of Maya's dominance, especially since Maya came into heat. She seems to take it quite well, and if Grizzer's willing to help, Nyssa seems to do a good job of giving a bit of dominance back to Maya. Nyssa shows no signs of coming into heat, and has settled into the role of lower ranking female.
Shadow's been demonstrating some great behaviors this winter. As the wolf care staff, with the great assistance of Ann Rasberry, have completed the IWC ethogram, Shadow's been demonstrating most of the behaviors. This week's photo show's an intense stare from Shadow to Malik.
Shadow is taking his role as the pack leader very seriously. He seems to have established his dominance over Mallik, and Grizzer gives him no grief. The females have their own issues, and Shadow seems to be favoring Maya during their disputes. It will be interesting to see if the female role is established this winter and if Shadow has anything to do with it.
Staff been having a few issues with Nyssa. She's a snappy little female and I don't mean how she dresses. She has a habit of snapping when she gets excited. Usually, the snaps are directed to dead air space, but every once and a while, that space is close to a human's chin. Nyssa has also become adept at jumping from rock to rock and has even taken a few leaps onto the staff's back. She may be small, but that doesn't mean she isn't noticeable.
I hope you all had a great holiday season. The wolves weathered the holiday well considering the December 26th – 9 am wolf check was -34 degrees below zero. On New Year's day, nearly 10 inches of snow fell creating a great diversion for the wolves (the pups love fresh snow) and many hours of work for the curator. Enjoy the winter photos…
Grizzer is doing extremely well, and is really gaining muscle mass. He's as tall as the arctics and has proven to be a bit of a handful for some of the handlers. He has a good relationship with the Curator and seems to be kept under control when she's present. Level 1 handler, Jim Ziburski caught a northern while ice fishing and saved if for Grizzer. It's one of Grizzer's favorite treats to get a frozen fish.
MacKenzie's eye seems to be doing extremely well since the medical exam. She continues to be the dominant force in the pack, pinning Lakota when Lakota gets a bit excited. MacKenzie has claimed the far corner of the pen as her straw bed and cache spot. Of all the wolves on site, she tends to be the most expressive in eye contact, facial and body postures. In this week's photo, MacKenzie let's out a yawn showing the jaw spread of an adult wolf. It's no wonder they have the abililty to grasp on to an adult Moose.
Shadow had his favorite exhibit maintenance project completed: staw on top of the den. His favorite spot to watch the parking lot and the exhibit window. Of course, now we received nearly a foot of snow and the straw has to be dug up again, but that's what wolf care staff are for (in Shadow's mind anyway). The wolves seem to have a new spirit with a fresh blanket of snow, especially the arctics.
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.