Aidan Wolf Logs written March 9, 2014 by Photography Workshop Participants Sally Sell and Darcy Berus with Photo by Sally Sell.
Participants wanted to show that the ambassador pack wolves also have a lot of quiet, resting time when the pack dynamics are very calm. Here we see Aidan resting on the top of a snow pile, giving him a great advantage point of the other wolves.
Aidan is extremely expressive in his facial postures. Of course, we always warn observers to avoid anthropomorphism, a long word for the tendency to apply human emotions to animal behavior, but as the winter rages on in Northern Minnesota, it’s hard not to interpret the frustration felt by staff (in our interpretation) expressed by Aidan. Well, at least that’s how we are all feeling.. enough already. We also need to remind ourselves that March is traditionally the snowiest month in the winter. But, on a brighter note, it appears our drought will be over if this ever melts.
Aidan is the barometer of the pack. If he can rest, we know the pack is calm. The winter hormones seem to always have a slight tendency to increase the intensity, but despite continual sub-zero days, the pack remains very social. While we had hoped for stronger pair bonding between Aidan and Luna, the issues is less likely with Aidan than with Luna’s intense possession and guarding of food. We continue to work on Luna’s diet as we know it has a direct impact on Aidan’s rest.
Aidan looked quite relaxed on the snow pile and it appears to be true, the dominant wolves tend to utilize the height advantage. We have also noticed some interesting facial expressions from Aidan, specifically after the yearlings display high energy juvenile behavior.
Aidan and Luna do pair up when it comes to dominance, but Luna is not quite the roll on the ground pack mate seeking to form a social bond. Aidan seems to know when to interact, and when to to let the rest of the pack mates wrestle. Aidan continues to maintain good pigmentation on his nose, showing little indication that the Discoid Lupus is returning. Our Veterinarians believe this may be stress induced and so far, Aidan has complete control of the pack without any indication that he is being tested by Boltz or Denali. Aidan is the Dominant male of this pack.
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. As the dominant male of the exhibit pack, Aidan often deals with a lot of testing from his. Since the wolf’s social hierarchy is mostly gender based, he usually gets this testing behavior from Denali or Boltz. Some of this testing behavior was seen here and there this week, but Aidan is a strong leader, and often has to do little more than growl at or pin a wolf once to get his point across. Outside of these moments of dominance, Aidan is a very relaxed leader, often seeking wolf care staff for that next belly rub.
Aidan’s been sharing some dominance with Luna over both Denali and Boltz and while he can take control of situations, he often stands back and watches. With all dominant animals, we know that stress levels are higher for the wolves that are keeping the pack under control. We want to make sure that Aidan gets enough relief from the yearlings to keep stress levels down. The Exhibit Pack will really start to increase as Boltz matures and winter advances.
This entry was written by visiting Wolf Care Staff Volunteer, Cameron Feaster. With the winter making an early arrival, we’re already beginning to see a big increase in activity from all the wolves. Aidan is a perfect example of this activity increase, as he is commonly seen initiating play with the other wolves. This week he was seen performing several playbows and foreleg stabs towards Luna, trying to initiate some form of interaction with her. Wolf care staff hope that this behavior towards Luna may be a part of the pairbonding rituals commonly seen in the dominant wolves of a pack.
I would like to thank all of the members and donors who support our educational mission at the International Wolf Center. I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and would like to report that all of the wolves are doing well. We have some great pack interactions as the winter begins and our wolf care staff are so honored to work with these incredible ambassador wolves.
