The logs this week will all contain the same text… Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow. A spring snowstorm dumped nearly 30 inches of snow on the Ely area on Saturday and Sunday, leaving the wolf care staff to shovel, clean gates, blow snow, clean cameras, uncover heated waterers and pick up dead branches from trees that couldn’t support the weight of the wet snow. The wolves enjoyed the snow, although a few of the branches startled Maya. It’s not unusual for a spring snowstorm, but with temperatures usually in the 40’s and 50’s they go quickly. This time, the weather forecast doesn’t predict much above 40 degrees this week, and there are a few more days of snow predicted. Enjoy the webcams; I’m sure you will see the wolves romping through the snow.
The logs this week will all contain the same text… Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow. A spring snowstorm dumped nearly 30 inches of snow on the Ely area on Saturday and Sunday, leaving the wolf care staff to shovel, clean gates, blow snow, clean cameras, uncover heated waterers and pick up dead branches from trees that couldn’t support the weight of the wet snow. The wolves enjoyed the snow, although a few of the branches startled Maya. It’s not unusual for a spring snowstorm, but with temperatures usually in the 40’s and 50’s they go quickly. This time, the weather forecast doesn’t predict much above 40 degrees this week, and there are a few more days of snow predicted. Enjoy the webcams; I’m sure you will see the wolves romping through the snow.
The logs this week will all contain the same text… Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow. A spring snowstorm dumped nearly 30 inches of snow on the Ely area on Saturday and Sunday, leaving the wolf care staff to shovel, clean gates, blow snow, clean cameras, uncover heated waterers and pick up dead branches from trees that couldn’t support the weight of the wet snow. The wolves enjoyed the snow, although a few of the branches startled Maya. It’s not unusual for a spring snowstorm, but with temperatures usually in the 40’s and 50’s they go quickly. This time, the weather forecast doesn’t predict much above 40 degrees this week, and there are a few more days of snow predicted. Enjoy the webcams; I’m sure you will see the wolves romping through the snow.
The logs this week will all contain the same text… Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow. A spring snowstorm dumped nearly 30 inches of snow on the Ely area on Saturday and Sunday, leaving the wolf care staff to shovel, clean gates, blow snow, clean cameras, uncover heated waterers and pick up dead branches from trees that couldn’t support the weight of the wet snow. The wolves enjoyed the snow, although a few of the branches startled Maya. It’s not unusual for a spring snowstorm, but with temperatures usually in the 40’s and 50’s they go quickly. This time, the weather forecast doesn’t predict much above 40 degrees this week, and there are a few more days of snow predicted. Enjoy the webcams; I’m sure you will see the wolves romping through the snow.
The logs this week will all contain the same text… Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow. A spring snowstorm dumped nearly 30 inches of snow on the Ely area on Saturday and Sunday, leaving the wolf care staff to shovel, clean gates, blow snow, clean cameras, uncover heated waterers and pick up dead branches from trees that couldn’t support the weight of the wet snow. The wolves enjoyed the snow, although a few of the branches startled Maya. It’s not unusual for a spring snowstorm, but with temperatures usually in the 40’s and 50’s they go quickly. This time, the weather forecast doesn’t predict much above 40 degrees this week, and there are a few more days of snow predicted. Enjoy the webcams; I’m sure you will see the wolves romping through the snow.
The retired wolves are doing well, even though the snow is much harder for them to navigate due to their age. The other challenging thing with so much snow is that fence heights are getting shorter, especially in the retired pack…but older hips are not likely to support any jumping behavior, and life is good in the Retired Pack, they get extra meals, a warm dry den box with straw and a daily dose of nutritional supplements that keep them feeling good.
The logs this week will all contain the same text… Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow. A spring snowstorm dumped nearly 30 inches of snow on the Ely area on Saturday and Sunday, leaving the wolf care staff to shovel, clean gates, blow snow, clean cameras, uncover heated waterers and pick up dead branches from trees that couldn’t support the weight of the wet snow. The wolves enjoyed the snow, although a few of the branches startled Maya. It’s not unusual for a spring snowstorm, but with temperatures usually in the 40’s and 50’s they go quickly. This time, the weather forecast doesn’t predict much above 40 degrees this week, and there are a few more days of snow predicted. Enjoy the webcams; I’m sure you will see the wolves romping through the snow.
As you probably noticed on the web cams, we are dealing with 3 feet of snow in the last week and it is still snowing as I write these logs on Friday, April 11th. Yes, April in Minnesota can be an interesting month. Initially, the wolves were excited about the snow, but the restricted movement because of the deep snow has created a bit too much concentration of wolves in the front of the exhibit. Grizzer and Malik have been having some issues and it appears that Malik is using this opportunity to take back some rank from Grizzer. Needless to say, Grizzer is a bit stunned by this behavior. Malik is now the one following Grizzer and it is making Grizzer nervous. Being a bit heavier, Grizzer sinks in the snow more than Malik who is a lean wolf by physiology. It is hard to predict when the spring melt will occur, but at this point, we have again postponed the wolves’ medical exams. We did vaccinate Grizzer and Maya for Parvovirus, but all the other wolves are old enough that a parvovirus isn’t necessary. With new pups coming in a few weeks, we always want to make sure that Parvo vaccines are given at least one month prior to new pups arrival, as there is a slight risk of live virus shed in the scat after a vaccination, especially when using a modified live vaccine. It is a small risk, but any risk is not worth taking. The entire pack will receive their annual rabies vaccinations, a complete blood panel and exam when the weather warms and the snow actually melts from the medical exam enclosure. Hopefully, that will be during the first week of May.
Malik has shown that the bottom-ranking wolf doesn’t necessarily stay on the bottom. If an opportunity arises to gain status, a wolf will take it. With the deep snowfall, Grizzer’s larger body size has resulted in a harder struggle to maneuver around the enclosure. We have always said Malik is a lean wolf; this body structure is now paying off. Malik has been following Grizzer, taking a few grabs when Grizzer’s stuck in a snow bank and can run faster through the limited trail systems. This will likely result in a bit of redirected aggression from Grizzer after the snow melts, but it has been an interesting behavioral study.
Maya has been using the snow banks to get some good vantage points. She is often observed climbing on the largest banks, and just watching the action. She and Shadow continue to have some good social time, and despite the workout of maneuvering through the snow, Maya and Grizzer continue to wrestle as littermates. Today, during wolf care, when Malik was chasing Grizzer, they both ran right over Maya. She had a startled look on her face, and moved her resting spot, but she definitely will benefit from having a new female pup added to the pack.
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.