shadow – Jan 22, 2010 12:00 AM

Shadow has been the subject of many wolf care discussions in the last few weeks. He seems to be testing staff, and venting some frustration. This is the most challenging part of the job. With Malik's retirement, we saw the physical weaknesses and bite wounds that indicated a problem and need for retirement. With Shadow, there appears to be less physical confrontations, but his psychological state is what we are concerned about. We can uses physical indicators to judge this, including low tail postures, flat back ears, lack of involvement and abnormal behavior, such as testing trusted wolf care staff. It's not so easy to just pull him out of the pack, we have to make sure it is the right move, if not, his frustration could redirect to Malik, causing a serious long-term problem. We also have to be concerned with Maya's pairbonding and what she may do without Shadow. We know she can redirect, and that may affect Aidan. We know Denali will gain status without Shadow, and the reality is, once Shadow is out, he probably won't be back in. So, there is a lot to think about, but most importantly, these are wolves, and it is important to think in wolf terms to do what is best for wolf social dynamics.