10 September 2020

Here is a Boltz update for 10 September 2020:

When working with wolves, we are always dealing with a species that has some innate fear avoidance behavior.  We socialize the pups at a young age to try to overcome some of their fear response in a human environment, but being neophobic is one of the challenges of managing wolves and makes them much different than dogs to manage.  When a wolf is not feeling well, it is not uncommon for them to retreat to a comfortable spot and avoid pack interactions. This may be a defense mechanism to avoid being vulnerable or may just be in response to feeling poorly.  Boltz has found comfort in the upper wooded portion of the enclosure.  Staff bring him food, water and have been diligent in getting him his medication.  Because we don’t have a diagnosis yet, we start at some basics and work our way towards more significant treatment.  His symptoms seem to be pointing towards a disc compression that may improve with steroids.  But, before starting anyone on steroids, we had to make sure he didn’t have an infection (or that a protozoa could be causing some neurological symptoms), so we started him on antibiotics first.  He completed his antibiotics and started a full dose of steroids today.  We hope that if he feels better, he will want to come down to the front medical pen where we can have a better chance of drugging him for a trip to the vet for further diagnostics.   The medical pen and the pack holding area both have chutes with overhead guillotine gates that can be intimidating for wolves even on a good day.  So, we decided to move Grizzer out of the Pack Holding Area for the day and leave the large 4 ft by 8 ft gate open in case Boltz decided to come down for a visit. We will keep you posted on his progress and any further diagnostics.

Boltz- Changes in Temperature Yield Changes in Attitude

Many across the country are probably ready for fall weather.  Boltz would second that emotion. It has been a hot, buggy summer, but there his hope in the cool night air that extends into the morning wolf checks.  This morning, we had a great visit with Boltz, giving a full body scratch.  There should be a video clip of this in Friday’s  Youtube posting (I am trying to get back to a weekly post). Today, at the Noon Enrichment program, Boltz managed to claim the deer leg Popsicle provided by wolf care staff.  This was a definite change in attitude.  We look forward to the fall season and how Boltz’s lack of concern for flying insects brings his focus back to a place in the male rank order. Thanks to Katelyn Schwab, that was able to find a space at the window during the popular Noon Enrichment program and capture this photo. 

Summer bugs continue impacting the behavior of Boltz

Boltz has lost much of his winter confidence as summer bug season has arrived.  Wolf care staff are working on ways to desensitize him to flying insects – often using flavored bubbles – but in the high temps of the last few weeks it has been a challenge to keep him visible and interacting with the rest of the pack.  We started leaving the medical pen open 24 hours a day.  This area is well shaded, has a concrete pad that will remain cool and is adjacent to the water hoses and misting system.  The Curator has a ring camera that connects to her phone and she can track Boltz’s midnight rendevous in the medical pen. 

Boltz – Pelage Blends with the Habitat

There are many unique communication methods employed by wolves.  Tail postures, eye contact, howling, scent marking are the most notable.  But, if you take a moment to look at a wolf’s markings or pelage, you specific parts of the wolf may have a color pattern to aid in communication.  Let’s start with the eyes.  Direct eye stare is a sign of a challenge in wolf communication and we know that ears pricked forward signal a heightened level of arousal and a curl of the lip above the teeth can put the exclamation point on a message of dominance.  If you look closely, you may see the black lips that contrast a white muzzle and a dark rim around the tips of the ears.  A dark tip on the tail is a great way highlight a high tail posture of a dominant wolf.  How about submissive wolf?  Well, when a wolf submits, it exposes a white, pale chest and a white underbelly that may help notice as submissive posture.  Finally, have you every noticed a wolf’s hackles?  The dark coloration on the shoulder and rump are more noticeable when the hackles rise.  Nature is amazing, and so is the effectiveness of camouflage for blending into a background.  Do you notice Boltz’s ability to blend in with his forested habitat?

Boltz – Reactive Influence

While staff were carrying Aidan on the stretcher back into the Wolf Care Center, we noticed Boltz observing from the Exhibit fence-line.   Wolves watching activity is not uncommon, the whole pack was there watching, but body postures of the individuals was interesting.  Denali was his typical, “tail wagging, what are staff up to, maybe there’s food” self.  There doesn’t seem to be much that phases that wolf , which is why he is now the oldest pack member we have managed in the Exhibit Pack in our 30-year history of wolf care.  Grayson was whining and was later observed sleeping along the retired wolf fence-line.  This also wasn’t surprising given the strong bond that existed between Grayson and Aidan (which seems to still exist today).  Axel was trying to posture over Denali and Boltz while they were focused on the wolf yard which is common for Axel.  The most interesting observation was Boltz, who was standing at the fenceline with hackles from his neck to his back and a T-2 tail posture.  This straight back tail posture tends to be more of an intense action tail posture, unlike the arousal over the back or the down low wagging of a subordinate.  A T-2 tails seems to have more of a predatory drive.  In our interpretation, Boltz, who was directly involved in Aidan’s loss of status as a pack leader, seemed to be displaying a response posture towards Aidan.  But, the behavior didn’t end after Aidan came into the building, wolf care staff sent out the following notice about a wolf check a few hours later “…Boltz was quite proactive towards the others as far as his assertiveness. Boltz began snarling and charging at Denali and Axel. Grayson had then come over to Boltz where Boltz and Grayson went back and forth for a minute or two. After Boltz continued to try and chase Denali and Axel away, Denali went back to the pump housing and laid down. After Boltz and Grayson ended their interaction of growling, snarling and charging each other, Boltz went over to the pump housing and laid down with Denali.”   When doing wolf care, it’s always important to read behaviors and trace back events that might have influenced interactions.  Aidan’s presence in such a vulnerable position may have reinforced Boltz’s confidence that he had gained when deposing Aidan as the Exhibit Pack leader. 

Boltz – Power of Direct Eye Contact

Boltz is probably one of the more expressive wolves in terms of facial expressions.  The most powerful expression that will elicit a response from the packmates is the direct eye stare.  In this post’s photo, he stops a confrontation with Axel causing him to avert his gaze.  These kind of non-physical interactions are great ways for social packmates to understand the limits and tolerances of behaviors, especially from exuberant two year old wolves.  

Boltz- Waiting to Ambush

This log was written by Bill Brandon, participants in the October Wolf Photography Weekend.  Photography donated by Craig Johnson.

We found Boltz to be somewhat of a sneaky fellow.  Occasionally, he instigated play with his pack mates; other times he appeared to “hang back” and just observe the behaviors of others.  Then, when he felt the time was right, he would pounce and join the interaction of the others in the pack.

Boltz- New Found Freedoms

Even though Aidan had been less involved in the Exhibit pack activities in the last few months, we knew his removal from the pack would change the dynamics in the Exhibit.  Initially, we thought Denali, as a sibling to Aidan, would show the most significant response to Aidan’s removal.  We were wrong.  The strongest responses were observed in Grayson, who increased the number of lone howls he displayed and Boltz, who was released from the tension between he and Aidan, making for some very social wolf checks and surprising feeding programs.  In this post, the photo shows Boltz doing a full lunge towards Axel while Denali continues to feed.  This was photographed on the pack’s first feeding after Aidan’s retirement.  In previous feedings, Boltz was always the last to feed, he was timid, more likely to be isolated by himself in the wooded area of the enclosure.  Part of that behavior was due to a phobia of biting, buzzing insects, but part was his experience as a pup.  Of all the wolves at the Center, Boltz has the weakest socialization with staff due to his age when we acquired him.  Although Boltz was bottle-fed and socialized during the neonate stage at his natal facility, he did not have the full 24-hour a day human experience that is standard protocol at the Center.  Wolf pups have a fear avoidance behavior that can be observed as young as 13 days of age; Acquiring Boltz at 30 days of age definitely shows a stronger avoidance of new or uncertain stimuli. On July 28th, during the What’s for Dinner program, Denali not only let Boltz feed with him, but actively kept Axel and Grayson off the deer.  This new found freedom at the carcass has resulted in Boltz showing more confidence and more willingness for staff interaction. 

Boltz- Safety in the Den

As you can see, Boltz still has some phobias with the summertime buzz of the exhibit.  He is improving, but the others still see his behavior as weak and a source of some dominance targets.  We have several overnight groups that have provided some good information on pack dynamics.  On July 13th, we had a program called “Wolves After Dark”, where people sleep adjacent to the wolf enclosure and have a first hand view of the action. This program was critical to provide insight on pack dynamics as were making plans for Aidan’s medical exam and upcoming retirement.  It is important to have a good assessment of the pack before any major changes occur.  Based on their data sheets, it does appear that Grayson is less dependent on Aidan, making the transition in leadership a little less stressful.  Since most of the tension in the pack is between Boltz, Aidan and Axel,  there should be less intensity that will likely change Boltz’s demeanor. 

Boltz- Forest Dweller

In the past few weeks, the return of the Minnesota insect season has kept Boltz as a forest dweller, spending most of the day in the protective shade of the forest.  This is great for his ears, as he doesn’t have any of the nasty fly bites at the tips of his ears that require a treatment of fly ointment.  It is not so great due to the fact that his self-imposed isolation from the pack results in some unwanted attention upon his return.  Even though the wolves reside within the same enclosure, there is still a psychological component to separations from the social group, even if it’s just for the day.  There’s no doubt this is more challenging for Boltz because he seems to have voluntarily decreased his rank this spring, but anyone in Minnesota knows, summer is a short season and it won’t be long before the leaves are turning and Boltz is back in the action.  If you are a viewer to our Youtube channel, you may have heard about Boltz’s bout of laryngitis.  He has low tones, but he can’t hit the high notes, especially when howling.  The Veterinarians are still researching this,  but it doesn’t seem to have any impact on his food consumption or activity levels.