Grizzer – Back to the top

Wolf care staff are pleased to announce that Grizzer has returned to his normal weight and social activity. We are seeing more restful sleeping patterns, as well as much more social greeting with staff when conducting wolf care. As you can see in this week’s photo, we have been frequently weighing Grizzer to get a sense of and loss/gain of weight as we treated him with new medications. We are extraordinarily thankful to all of those who have supported us in the care of our retirees at the International Wolf Center.

 

Denali – Dealing with the summer heat

Wolves are built to withstand extremely cold temperatures, but summer heat can be a challenge for them. We recently added a pile of dirt to the enclosure that has been an excellent source of relief for the wolves. Wolf care staff often water the dirt down to retain some coolness and moisture for the wolves to rest on, and as you can see in this week’s photo, they take advantage of it.

Boltz – Hiding from the flies

We’re still working with some anxious behavior from Boltz due to his phobia of bees. Insect season has really come into full swing, and the sound of buzzing around him can make Boltz very intimidated. Recently he has spent most of his time in a dug den in the back of the enclosure. All of the sand and dirt can serve as protection for him from the bees and flies. He does spend time in the open seeking social company however, today he came down when a storm rolled in to rest beside Denali under the eaves in front of our observation area. Though the winds and thunder were relatively intense, visitors were given an excellent view of the pair through the storm.

Aidan – Prolactin has come late

A nurturing hormone referred to as prolactin often spikes right around the time of year that pups are born, but we’ve seen a delay in this surge for spring 2015. Now we’re beginning to see signs that the hormones have finally arrive, albeit a bit late. Luna and Aidan have been observed spending more time with one another, in a calmer manner. Luna can still become very excitable and go into bouts of obnoxious submission to Aidan, but more and more frequently we have been witnessing calmer interactions between the two.

Boltz – Some Summer Phobias

I have said this many times, Boltz has some shyness that we will never overcome because he was nearly a month old when we met him.  But, the shyness is not just a socialization issue.  Boltz seems to also have an issue with bees.  He was stung when he was younger and that negative event has made him obsessed with the noise of buzzing flies, bees, hornets (unfortunately, we have a lot of the aforementioned). This makes it even harder to work with him because he is so panicked by the summer bugs.  You will notice he is less groomed than the other wolves, anything coming over his head makes him a bit nervous.  So instead of brushing, we pluck his hair.  We are working on his trust, but at this time, the only thing that works is if Boltz has Denali at his side.  These two wolves have a very strong bond.  We won’t give up, he may well be the future pack leader, so we want to increase our bond and his confidence.   He does have his favorite staff, so we know there’s hope. 

Denali – Will he Ever Shed

Denali may know something about climate that eludes the rest of us.  He has retained most of his winter undercoat and while we brush him every day, his pelage is thick and ready for winter.  I know we just experienced the summer solstice and it’s a downhill slide towards winter, but really… there will be a summer in Ely, Minnesota, so lose the hair.  Of course, he has less bug bites than everyone else, so maybe he does know something that eludes us.

Luna – Summer Look

Luna has shed most of her summer undercoat on her body, butt that leaves her with partially shed neck hair that contrasts with her dark pelage.  We think she’s striking.   We have a local photographer who attends our Thursday night and Saturday morning “Photographer’s Only” sessions and he recently captured some beautiful Luna images.  Actually, all of his photos are amazing..  Check it out http://www.elypix.com/Wolf/i-s54mqrR

Aidan – Fit and Trim this summer

You may recall last fall we took Aidan to the clinic (under immobilization) and had an ultrasound and x-rays over concern for his distended stomach.  The vet results, too many treats for enrichment, he just got fat.  So, this year, we are careful about the noon enrichment program and are avoiding a lot of treats and Aidan is better for it. He is active, has a spring in his step and seems to feel better about the pack dynamics (meaning, Luna). 

Grizzer has increased energy

Grizzer – Great Improvements

I will only have time for one log post today and I thought it should be about Grizzer.  As I reported last week, we were concerned about lethargy, weight loss and an overall lack of interest in socialization with staff.  These were characteristics that were not typical of Grizzer.  After some blood work, we discovered some low liver enzymes and with consultation from our Veterinarian, we started him on Milk Thistle, increased his vitamin B and have transitioned him to a daily feeding rather than the large carcass gorging pattern characteristic of wolves in the wild or the Exhibit Pack feedings (you may recall, we did the same for Shadow and Malik in retirement).  We are happy to report that his blood work today showed an improvement in liver enzymes, he loves his daily feedings (we added coconut oil for amino acids) and he still gets a special Saturday night carcass, it just happens to be a chicken carcass.   Most importantly, the Grizzer attitude is back.  When Grizzer is feeling good, he is animated (play bows, Grizzer 500’s or as he ages 250’s), vocal (yes, he talks back), rolls over, demands staff time and is indignant when we leave.  For the last few weeks, he would barely greet, so we are more than happy to see him feeling good.  Here is is weight progression, we will continue to weigh him every two weeks:

6/13/2014 Grizzer 55.8 kg or 123.0 lbs
5/1/2015 Grizzer 50.8 or 111.9 lbs
6/12/2015 Grizzer 52 or 114.4 lbs
6/26/2015 Grizzer 53.4 or 117.73

 

Aidan – Dog Days of Summer

If you’re heard of the phrase “Dog Days of Summer”, then you can relate to the challenges for wolf care in managing a captive exhibit.  Wolves and dogs are covered with hair (or for some dogs, fur), and only have sweat glands between their pads on their feet.  It was likely more efficient to stay warm in winter than stay cool in summer.  So, how does a wolf cool itself?  They pant to evaporate heat and moisture off their tongue and they alter their patterns of activity.  Our Exhibit Pack will consistently settle down at 10 am and not get back up until 7 pm.  Because we are a public display, we provide stimulus or “Enclosure Enrichment” programs at noon every day, then several hours throughout the day we will wet down the soil to provide a cool place to rest.  If you’ve ever watched a dog on a hot and humid afternoon, you can appreciate the term.