shadow – Dec 24, 2007 12:00 AM

We are pleased to report that Shadow seems to have recovered well. He still joins in when Grizzer and Maya chase each other around the enclosure, against the wishes of the staff that care for him. We would rather he take it easy and remember he’s nearing 8 years of age, but he’s a dominant wolf that displays the social behavior of a leader. We want to emphasize how important Shadow is to this upcoming pup introduction. We are excited to see Shadow confident, healthy and in a leadership role, and the bond between Shadow and Maya is a great demonstration of the social pack behavior inherent in wolves. Speaking of socialization, the Nanny applications will be posted on the website after January 1st. Pup nannies are chosen through a rigorous process based on specific prerequisites and a narrative application. The process helps to ensure that we choose nannies who have the pups’ and wolves’ safety as their primary objective. The care the pups receive during their first few months shapes the outcome of their lives in captivity. Therefore we proactively work to minimize mistakes during the formative socialization period in the pups’ lives. When mistakes are made, it may affect the safety of the wolves and of the wolf care staff and the impact persists throughout the wolf’s life (typically 14 to 16 years for a captive wolf). We cannot overstate the importance of proper socialization, minimization of mistakes, and safety of the pups and exhibit pack during the introduction period.