We are currently in a pattern of cold arctic air with nighttime temperatures reaching -40 degrees below zero. We are very mindful of any discomfort to Luna, but so far, we don’t see any issues. We are managing so many joint/nutritional supplements, supplement food, homeopathic treatments, warm straw beds and massages that we’re not sure which one is most effective, so we will continue all treatments to make sure Luna is as comfortable as she can be.
Denali continues to show no dominant behavioral traits over Boltz, which means that Boltz can take advantage of Denali anytime. Fortunately for Denali, that’s not Boltz’s personality trait. Denali is most harassed by Luna, who seems to focus on Denali’s subordinate traits. Luna is not as easily distracted as Boltz, which means our ability to give Denali some relief from Luna is limited. But, Denali has discovered his own escape. We have a double high rock pile that is nearly 5 feet off the ground which Luna rarely climbs and has become a good location for Denali to get some Luna free time.
Boltz seems to be less likely to test for status and more inclined to be compatible with the male rank order. There are still moments where his intensity is a bit increased, but this is typically stimulated by Luna and he is easily distracted. We are still working with some shyness issues with Boltz. We didn’t meet Boltz until he was beyond our typical critical bonding period (less than 21 days), which means he will probably always have the weakest social bonds of any of our pack mates. There are staff that are very important to Boltz and it is our priority to make sure we have time to allow Boltz to greet on his terms.
Aidan’s continues to show the strength and leadership reminiscent of the leadership Shadow displayed for 8 years. The only thing we notice is that he still has a tendency to avoid the confrontational issues with Luna, but that’s probably a good thing. Aidan has many bouts of social engagement with all the pack mates, but he seems to be developing a strong bond with Boltz. Of course, this doesn’t mean that Boltz won’t test Aidan if the opportunity arises, but we have witnessed several facial greetings initiated by Boltz.
This log written by Wolf Care Staff volunteer, Cameron Feaster. The effects of winter still seem to occupy Shadow. This is particularly noticeable when Shadow greets wolf care staff, where he briefly turns into what seems like an excitable 90-pound pup. In this week’s youtube video, you can see Shadow performing more snow-plowing behavior right after greeting wolf care staff, and right before going into a howling session with the other wolves on sight.
This log written by Wolf Care Staff volunteer, Cameron Feaster. Malik has been very focused on food recently. Between him and Shadow, it’s Malik who does most of the caching and re-caching of meals brought into the enclosure. He seems to have a daily routine of checking on his caches to see if his brother has eaten or moved them, and then it’s back to resting in his warm, straw-filled den.
This log written by Wolf Care Staff volunteer, Cameron Feaster. Grizzer has had a relaxing week. In the mornings, Grizzer is visited by an assortment of wolf care staff to greet him and allow him a social outlet. After his regular feedings of chicken, beaver, or deer, he often takes his meal to a straw bed in a sunny portion of his enclosure, and has a nice meal.
This log written by Wolf Care Staff volunteer, Cameron Feaster. Luna’s ability to possess food certainly surpasses any other wolf in the exhibit pack. During a mid-week feeding, a beaver was brought in for the pack, which Luna immediately possessed and guarded for the rest of the afternoon, though she ate very little of it.
This log written by Wolf Care Staff volunteer, Cameron Feaster. In this week’s youtube video, you can see Luna performing a stand-over Denali, while Boltz is actively submitting to him. The dynamics between Boltz and Denali seem to be in a constant change, it appears Denali has regained some status over Boltz in the past few weeks. However, this doesn’t keep Boltz and Denali from feeding on beavers together.
This log written by Wolf Care Staff volunteer, Cameron Feaster. It’s hard for wolf care staff to determine who’s getting how much food in the exhibit, as the wolves often feed off of carcasses, and other tasks around the center make it impossible for us to see everything that goes on in the enclosure. Boltz performed some odd behaviors this week, leading wolf care staff to believe he was not eating much of the food given to him. Later however, he was seen guarding and feeding off of a beaver for a large portion of an afternoon. Every wolf has their quirks, one of Boltz’s seems to be his feeding schedule.
