We hope everyone has had a Happy 4th of July and continues to enjoy the days of summer. All wolves are doing well here, we are monitoring a growth that opened on Shadow’s cheek and are doing some repairs to the pond. Grizzer had a new concrete floor installed in his den because he was continually digging under the foundation. Luna’s growing back a winter coat, so we must be on the downhill side of summer. The Ethology Course begins on July 20th, we are sure to have some good behavioral observations to report next week.
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We hope everyone has had a Happy 4th of July and continues to enjoy the days of summer. All wolves are doing well here, we are monitoring a growth that opened on Shadow’s cheek and are doing some repairs to the pond. Grizzer had a new concrete floor installed in his den because he was continually digging under the foundation. Luna’s growing back a winter coat, so we must be on the downhill side of summer. The Ethology Course begins on July 20th, we are sure to have some good behavioral observations to report next week.
We hope everyone has had a Happy 4th of July and continues to enjoy the days of summer. All wolves are doing well here, we are monitoring a growth that opened on Shadow’s cheek and are doing some repairs to the pond. Grizzer had a new concrete floor installed in his den because he was continually digging under the foundation. Luna’s growing back a winter coat, so we must be on the downhill side of summer. The Ethology Course begins on July 20th, we are sure to have some good behavioral observations to report next week.
We actually recorded the pack howling and Aidan took the lead in the howl and did some barking towards a stranger in the wolf yard. He's starting to act a lot like Shadow, and Shadow seemed to hold the pack together for 8 solid years. Of course, he had Maya at this side helping, in the upcoming months we will see if Luna is at Aidan's side helping or if she chooses to just be in his face.
Boltz is having a rough time with the flies. He is panicked with them overhead and runs with his tail down and head low, panicked. This is a problem in the heat, and he's taken to lying underground at the top of the enclosure. This puts him away from the rest of the pack and he is so anxious about the bugs that he doesn't get much time with staff. The flies are worse during hot, humid weather which describes this week. Boltz did manage to spend time howling with the pack and he immediately ran towards Aidan when the howls started. He seems to be drawn to Aidan when rallying.
Grizzer had an added opportunity to interact with Shadow even though it was only through scent marking. Malik has been a challenge for fly ointment so we moved Shadow into Grizzer's front enclosure (Grizzer was locked in the back), and brought in a staff member that Malik use to visit with when he was a single member of the retired pack, but this staff member is not someone that Shadow willingly accepts (well, he growls at the fence, we haven't pushed it beyond that)..So, back to Grizzer… When Grizzer came in, he sniffed areas that Shadow has marked, but didn't over mark. Usually that means he's not testing the other wolves status.
Luna is starting to grow her winter undercoat. That's a bit early considering it was a 90 degree week, but she spends most of her time in the cool den, so she's comfortable. We are observing her interactions with the male to see if there's any particular social trends. It's far to early in the season for pair bonding, we usually don't see this until December or January, but Luna does treat Denali more as a pup mate (a big pup mate) and Aidan more as a pack mate.
Malik has the most challenging time with the basic necessities of summer wolf care, which is fly ointment. Wolves generally avoid things over their heads and the lower ranking wolves are especially nervous. We had to resort to an old friend who has only had fence to fence greetings with Malik since Shadow was retired. Shadow is a bit particular about who is allowed in his enclosure, which limits Malik's social group. Grizzer knows the benefits of living alone, all wolf care staff socialize with him.
Denali is very acclimated to the grooming process associated with fly ointment and is willing volunteer to get a daily dose. He's big, but very gentle for staff as well as Luna and Boltz. There seems to a certain amount of juvenile behavior that has returned since the pups we introduced last summer. His most famous behavior is the "Squash", usually done by pups who sit on each other with no regard for their littermates comfort, for Denali, but pup's are usually evenly matched. When Denali sits on Luna, we sometimes intervene, but we have learned, Luna can make Denali move. The gentle personality doesn't seem to like the in your face style of the only female.
Written by Ethology Participant: Martine Squageau<br> While observing Boltz this week and interacting with his pack mates. I witness the enrichment, that included scents of other animals which the wolves rub on, rolled on, and marked over. During one of the enrichment's they threw apples into the exhibit packs pond Boltz went in and grabbed at apples. The wolves were fed a deer this week and ate off of it all week. The summer bugs are really annoying poor Boltz.
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