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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
It is standard practice for wolf care staff to inspect each wolf for any ticks, bite wounds, burrs, injuries, tenderness or other abnormality that needs attention. Denali is the most tolerant of this somewhat invasive handling technique and while he may display some anxiety (shown by his ears pricked and turned sideways), he accepts the inspection of two different handlers. As a lower ranking wolf, he doesn’t seem to be as cautious of showing submission or vulnerability. When doing a wolf check with a high ranking wolf, staff must be cautious to not put the wolf in a compromising position that may make them a target of a testing pack member.
It took a while, but Grizzer finally shed his winter coat and is showing the sleek posture of a summer pelage. Note what appears to be an oversized head compared to the winter photo of a complimentary neck of hair. I was recently asked if Grizzer will have some anxiety with the pups moving into the Exhibit Pack. Certainly, Grizzer has been communicating with the pups through whining, howling, visual contact and getting the benefit of pup leftovers. But, Grizzer’s most stimulating activity is spending time in the pack holding area and the sooner the pups go into the Exhibit, the sooner Grizzer’s life will return to normal.
