So, either Denali is expressing his opinion to the camera operator or we happened upon a mid-stream licking response… But, based on Denali’s often expressive interactions, there could be something to this photo. Denali is extremely tolerant of pack dynamics and he is an important pack member. As a littermate to Aidan, he has his bonding moments. When Boltz sees Denali, he is quick to display a full tail wag greeting and Luna seems to have a personal challenge to dominate Denali.
So, Denali displays an ear posture termed “Airplane Ears”. Why airplane ears? Well I believe this term was coined by our colleagues at Wolf Park in Battle Ground, Indiana, because the ears are held out to the side in a manner that simulates the wings of an airplane. Why do they display this, in our experience, it’s when a wolf is uncertain about something or someone. In this case, Luna was approaching and that’s enough to make anyone’s ears turn sideways.
In this photo Denali seems to be displaying a behavior known as ears pricked forward in the Ethogram it is defined as the ears are erect and turned outwards this is usually a sign of tension in the wolf. In Denali’s case he could be hearing an animal far away to someone walking through the wolf yard.
Denali has been feeling the effects of Boltz’s recent stimulated hormones. Boltz has spent the last week riding up and dominating all of his pack members. He’s definitely showing signs of a 2 year old. Fortunately, these spurts of testing are being tolerated by the pack, although Denali does like to get some relief from a high vantage point.
When we provide the cover hay in the front of the Exhibit, this is to provide comfort for Luna’s joint condition and Luna does take advantage of it. But, if we had to identify the wolf that seeks the most comfortable spot, it would have to be Denali. For being the largest wolf, one would assume that he’s pretty hardy and can withstand the cold, snowy conditions this winter has brought. Yet, he needs to have his own bed.
Denali Wolf Logs written March 9, 2014 by Photography Workshop Participants Heidi Pinkerton, Barb Farley, Jen Ell and Darcy Berus. Photo by Jen Ell.
We heard numerous chorus howls this weekend, probably 5-6 over the course of 3 days. It was fun and unique to have so many chorus howls. One thing really struck us about Denali this weekend was his tremendous strength. At the “What’s for Dinner” program, Denali dragged the deer carcass effortlessly, whereas Boltz had a hard time moving it inches. The muscular structure of the wolf helps support the large elongated head and allows them to drag, drop and carry prey species much larger than themselves.
This week’s photo is the perfect visual for the term “Submission- Ac”. This phrase was originally coined by Wolf Park in the development of their Ethogram. Simply put, “In active submission, the subdominant wolf crouches, whines, paws and licks at the muzzle of the dominant wolf; the tail may wag weakly while tuck, often in a T4 position (tail tucked between the legs). Denali is in a classic Active Submission pose.
In the wolf world, size does not equate to dominance and Denali demonstrates this well. This winter, as Luna and Boltz matured, Denali could have clearly established himself over Boltz. But, he spent the winter socially engaging as if he were a pup mate, not an older pack mate. Where Denali is concerned, the only thing worth having a dominance struggle is over a deer leg or a beaver carcass.
Denali has had a good week. When we isolate the wolves for maintenance projects such as snow removal, we use a lot of food to keep the wolves distracted. These extra meals in addition to the higher calorie diet of a cold snap means that Denali is getting a lot of meals.
