shadow – Feb 25, 2008 12:00 AM

Shadow is doing well, and as a continuation of Maya's text, he has been very social with Maya. He is acting very confident, tolerant of Grizzer and calm in his position. This might have something to do with the added restrictions in the wolf yard this winter, with no Behind the Scenes programs unless it is a special circumstance. Regardless, this is a good scenario for the pack. I also wanted to note, these ritualized dominance displays between the male rank order are very critical to maintaining and establishing position. They are generally short-lived and actually result in more significant fights. Shadow rarely shows physical dominance over Malik such as pinning or wrestling, likely because Malik is very anxious. But, Grizzer and Shadow are often observed in this social behavior.