Luna – New Arrangements

Luna’s behavior has been revealing since taking some time out of the Exhibit on the morning of the August 7th pup introduction.  We knew the decision we made would have implications, but Luna’s behavior is telling us that a time out from the pack may be what she needed.  She is adjusting well to life in the pack holding area and wolf care center and specifically to the additional staff that can now interact with her and the lack of competition during feeding. We recently had a demonstration on “Cold Laser’ technology and its’ benefits to animal care and certainly see some potential for not only Luna, but a variety of wolf management issues.  We have scheduled a consultant for a workshop/hand-on training in physical work with Luna for mid-September but again, will also look at work that can be applied to any of the wolves in our care.   It’s a special time for wolf care and volunteers to have some quiet time with Luna.  It was a rare experience for one-on-one time during her time in the enclosure with greetings often resulting in competition and guarding behavior.   We are seeing a new side of Luna that not many people can appreciate.  One thing that is important to note, as with any of our ambassador wolves, we assess the physical condition, the individual behavioral displays and the social interactions that help drive management decisions about pack life.  This is a practice we have employed for over 25 years; we need to be tuned into the individual and be responsive to changing dynamics that helps guide us in making the best decisions for every ambassador in our care.

Grayson- Getting Acclimated

This week’s wolf logs are written by behavioral team members Jessica Pierce, Jennifer Ell, and Joyce Turnquist based on their observations during the first week of introduction.

Since introduction day, Grayson has come a long way. This process started with him being very intimidated and having a lot of anxiety due to the drastic change in human interaction. Over the last few days he has sought out humans less and has stated engaging and following the pack. He is still anxious and is very observant before making a decision. However, he has started exploring more on his own and with other members. He still shows signs of intimidation with the adults, specifically Denali, but the progress is evident and increasing every day.

Boltz – A Change in Direction

This week’s wolf logs are written by behavioral team members Patty Kierski, Savannah Harness, and Kathy Kneeland based on their observations during the first week of introduction.

Boltz has been more actively interested in the pups since their introduction. He has been playful and seeks out time with the pups. He is spending more time with them than the other pack members. Boltz’ behavior has changed dramatically since the introduction, probably more than the other pack members.

Aidan – Relaxed But Firm

This week’s wolf logs are written by behavioral team members Christina Rizzo, Erin Ray, and Connie LaFondbased on their observations during the first week of introduction.

When Aidan hasn’t been resting, he has been very watchful and observant of ongoing pack dynamics. Aidan greets the pups with whines and allows them to submit and lick him, but not obnoxiously. Aidan has established clear boundaries for the pups in a calm assertive manner.

Axel – An Excitable Addition

This week’s wolf logs are written by behavioral team members Gailyn Barela, Hannah Jones, and Richard Pikikero based on their observations during the first week of introduction.

Axel has adjusted well in adapting in his new pack, he has a testing nature who is confident and is gaining confidence daily. He is already skilled in finding caches and is a very social pup. He often invited chase and is very interested in exploring his environment. He has a very strong bond with his brother Grayson, and the confidence to engage with all the other pack members, often being the instigator of social interaction.

Denali-A Calm Watcher

This week’s wolf logs are written by behavioral team members Holly Cox, Melinda Gleaton, and Hannah Stouffer based on their observations during the first week of introduction.

Denali’s calm energy was no different during this week of pup introduction. He is very carefree and patient when dealing with the pups and other pack members. He has spent most of his time wandering and observing from afar. Occasionally coming to the font sniffing and wagging his tail around the pups. He also has taken advantage of the extra food during this introduction, caching some of his treats.

Grayson- Threats from Above

Anyone who’s spent time in the woods can appreciate that wind has an impact.  The swaying of the trees, the creaking of the branches makes one wonder what may land on our head.  Wildlife are no different; Many deer hunters can attest to the fact that they don’t see deer on a windy day.  Predators are impacted as well.  Wolves rely on their sense of smell to identify the scent marking of nearby packs or the howls of a possible intruder.  In the wind, those sensory abilities are lost and can result in altered behavioral patterns in both wolves and their prey.  In captivity, we don’t have as much concern about territorial threats, but the presence of wind still makes the captive wolves nervous.  To aid in the socialization of our newest pups, we help gain some tolerance of wind by the use of a large industrial fan.  The fan is set outside of the enclosure and faces the pups while they go about their every day activities in the pack holding area.  Grayson is positively conditioned to the fan and often on a particularly muggy or buggy evening, will run toward the fan and sit in front of the steady flow of air with his head held high and his ears pricked forward.

Axel – How does this Caching Thing Work?

Caching is an instinctual behavior to save resources when there is excess.  Typically, canids dig a hole, place an object, push dirt over the object with their nose and tamp to cover it.  In this photo, Axel stalls at the hole portion of the behavior and keeps pushing the item deeper into the ground, skipping the pushing dirt and tamping behavior.  Grayson looks on and within moments after Axel leaves, picks up the (not so) cached item and finds another place to stash it.  Just because behaviors are instinctual, doesn’t mean that they are not benefited from some practice and trial and error.

Aidan – a Satisfied Grin

While the photo doesn’t portray it directly, Aidan is displaying a satisfied “Grin” behavior when the wolf care staff massage a critical point.  As an 8-year old wolf, this type of specialized care feels good on older bones, and is especially helpful for a dominant pack member that tends to be in more physical and behavioral confrontations than a lower ranking pack member.  There have been many studies on the relationship with fecal and urinary cortisol levels and social behavior of captive and wild wolves.  In the past, we have applied for grants to support an effort to evaluate cortisol levels as another tool to help improve our captive management operations.  While we were not successful in the first grant application, we will continue to look at options.

Boltz – Ears Pricked

The pups have been a source of interest for Luna, but Boltz seems to be the one with the most social interactions.  He is frequently watching, greeting and whining to the pups as they approach the shared fenceline and peer through the protective hardware cloth.  During a recent “dry run” of the pup introduction, Boltz showed as strong interest in the pup smells within the Pack Holding Area.  His “Ears Pricked Forward” posture shows a much more confident wolf than when normally observe and we suspect he will display that confidence when engaging in social behavior with the pups when they become packmates.