June 2, 2000 The pups made their semi-weekly visit to the vet on June 2 to get weighed and checked. The blue-collared pup weighed in at 5 pounds and 11 ounces and the red one weighs 5 pounds and 7 ounces. This is a typical weight gain of wild pups. They now measure 21 inches from the tip of the tail to the nose. Both of the pups are moving faster with a good trot if they smell their formula. In addition, they are begining to enjoy the outdoors more by wandering away from the handlers about ten feet and then returning shortly thereafter with a series of whines for reassurance. They will be taken outdoors more each day to simulate what they would be doing by their den in the wild. They are playing more with each other with play biting and growling which begins the survival training process.
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June 5, 2000 Both of the pups tipped the scales at over 6 pounds at the vet on June 5. The blue-collared wolf pup is 6.4 pounds and the red one is catching up at 6.1 pounds. The two pups spent part of the morning outside discovering that insects are fun to chase and pounce. This is typical of what wild pups would be doing outside their den while the adults are hunting or sleeping near the den. The red-collared pup growled at the blue one when he tried to take away his bug catch. The pouncing is a method they will use to catch rodents which are a minor part of their diet, but the behavior can be quite comical. Both of their tails are raised quite high when they are playing with each other. Tail raising is important body language for wolves as it indicates who is the alpha or leader. The pups are trying to assert leadership among themselves. They are quite alert and are increasing their whines to go outside.
June 8, 2000 The wolf pups made the most significant weight gain to date. On June 8, the blue collared pup weighed 6.14 pounds and the red collared pup tipped the scales at 6.11 pounds. They gained 11 ounces in three days! They will be slowly introduced to puppy chow the next couple days in addition to the 27 ounces of daily formula for each pup. With the onset of warmer weather, the pups have begun to dig up the soft dirt outside to reach cooler soil to escape the heat. Their puppy coat is thick everywhere except on their belly so they lie on their stomachs completely stretched out. Wolves will dig large holes in the warmer months not only for relief from the heat but also the bugs. The pups also discovered water which was used for playing and not drinking.
Shadow was guarding a beaver at the top of the hill. He came down for a brief greeting, then chased up the hill after a raven landed near his beaver.
Vitamins to all, Mackenzie and Shadow short fence fight during feeding program, Lucas on carcass first, Malik and Shadow approached, Lucas growled with high tail posture. Malik and Shadow submissive. Lucas left carcass, all remained relaxed for rest of feeding.
Drained pond today, temperatures dropping down to upper teens. Added several straw bales to main enclosure and retirement enclosure. Lucas seems to be slowing down with the colder evenings. Staff will continue to observe his overall physical condition to ensure that he has adequate bedding.
June 8, 2000 The wolf pups made the most significant weight gain to date. On June 8, the blue collared pup weighed 6.14 pounds and the red collared pup tipped the scales at 6.11 pounds. They gained 11 ounces in three days! They will be slowly introduced to puppy chow the next couple days in addition to the 27 ounces of daily formula for each pup. With the onset of warmer weather, the pups have begun to dig up the soft dirt outside to reach cooler soil to escape the heat. Their puppy coat is thick everywhere except on their belly so they lie on their stomachs completely stretched out. Wolves will dig large holes in the warmer months not only for relief from the heat but also the bugs. The pups also discovered water which was used for playing and not drinking.
Both wolf puppies started on some solid food on Friday. They are eating a combination of ground venison and puppy chow three times a day in addition to their formula five times a day. They literally "wolfed" down their first solid food and were begging for more. The blue collared wolf is starting to show less interest in the bottle and more in the solid food. They are five weeks old on June 12 and steadily gaining weight. The red collared wolf weighs 8.6 pounds and the blue one is 8.75 pounds. Their legs are beginning to grow as are their feet and nose. Each day they are getting faster as they romp outside. Their long-distance eyesight has improved significantly as they are able to detect shapes and movement 40-50 feet away. Their close vision is still not accurate as they rely on their sense of smell. They are wanting to be outside more each day so they will be out of the cage for longer periods of time exercising and exploring.
Nancy Gibson writes: The wolf pups made their final trip to the vet on June 27 in the Twin Cities in preparation for their journey to the International Wolf Center on June 29. The pups are seven weeks old and Shadow weighs 14.2 pounds. Malik weighs weighs an even 14 pounds. They received their first distemper vaccination in combination with parvovirus, coronavirus, adenovirus and parainfluenza. This is the same protocol for domestic dogs. They were wormed and given tablets for heartworm. They were listed in excellent health and the staff at Oak Knoll Animal Hospital is to be commended for their excellent help and guidance. Health care will be transferred to the local vets in Ely, Minnesota. The pups are spending most of their time outside except during the night. They experienced their first major rainstorm by sleeping through most of it by a large tree. Their guard hairs are an effective raincoat. A small pool of water has attracted much of the pup's attention. They use it to cool their feet then splash the rest of the water underneath their body. The pups will quietly meet the adults at the International Wolf Center is a series of controlled sessions with a fence separating them. All wolves produce a nuturing hormone called prolactin in the spring and summer to stimulate all members of the pack to help rear the pups. We expect the adults and the pups to be excited to see each other.
MacKenzie is doing very well. Of all the wolves in retirement, she seems to have maintained her dominance hierarchy. The other wolves aren't too concerned about status. Of course, Lucas is the only male, so there's nothing to worry about and Lakota has always been submissive to MacKenzie. So, I guess MacKenzie is the only one with something to lose.
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