Denali – Not My Food Supply

Denali is the largest wolf on display and he certainly didn’t get that way by being shy about his food.  Ravens and wolves typically co-exist, even in captivity, but there are a few ravens that push their limits.  When they do, the threat display and lunge are pretty clear messages to back off.  We watched a raven grab Grayson’s; I don’t see many ravens pulling Denali’s tail.  As the winter progresses and Denali is aging, we are seeing him lighten up to the point that he can be mistaken for one of the arctic subspecies, of course until size is evaluated.  The chasing behavior isn’t limited to ravens, Denali continues to instigate social interactions and much to the dismay of the pups, that can involve some chasing behavior.

Denali – Expressive when Guarding Possessions

In this week’s Youtube clip, there is a video sequence showing the interactions between Axel and Denali that led to this facial expression.  Denali prefers the height and comfort of the pump housing, especially if fresh cover hay is prepared.  This is a great place to rest away from the melting snow, the inquisitive ravens and usually in full warmth of a february sun.  It’s a place to cache bones for a mid-day snack.  The only challenge is that the rest of the pack wants the same space.  In this photo, Denali shows an alert response with the start of a lip curl towards Axel before Axel climbs on the pump housing and attempts to possess not only the space, but all of Denali’s possessions.

Denali – An Oversized Pup?

This weeks logs are written by Kim Wheeler, Executive Director, Red Wolf Coalition, Inc.  During my visit to the Center, I had the chance to watch Denali engage with his pack mates. He truly is an over-sized pup.  He often sought out a pup for play and a chase around the exhibit enclosure.  Like Boltz, Denali’s chases and playing with the pups is often cut short by Aidan.   Aidan seems to give Denali a little more space than he does with Boltz, when playing with the pups.  Denali is in good health and runs through the enclosure just like the pups.  I wonder if he has found the fountain of youth?  

Denali – Giving Chase

Denali has been quick to jump into the play and social behavior with Axel and Grayson. Denali’s version of pup-play however tends to be on a larger scale. Weighing around 140lbs+, chasing the pups at full speed and initiating play with them can cause some intimidation from Axel and Grayson. Aidan has been quick to intervene when needed. If Denali’s energy gets too high, Aidan is often quick to enter and calm things down, whether that be done by rolling Denali over, or simply giving a few warning vocalizations.

Photo by Kelly Godfrey

Denali – Always about the Food

Denali shows that even though he’s not standing over his food possession, he still has the right to defend it.  In this photo, he shows the classic “Lip Curl” which is a threat display showing the canines.  We can interpret the intensity of the interaction based on how many teeth are showing.  Denali is pretty serious here, but we also see another posture that indicates he’s not very confident.  His ear posture is turned to the side in a more submissive or intimidated response.  If he was confident, his ears would have been pricked forward.  Even though there is a social right of every pack member to possess and guard food, sometimes showing a threat display towards the pack leader can add a little intimidation.  Of course, Denali didn’t get to be the largest wolf in the Exhibit Pack by letting a little intimidation get in the way of a meal.  For Denali, it’s always about the food, not so much concern over the rank.

Heidi Pinkerton

Denali – Less Intimidating

Since the August introduction, Denali has been a source of some angst for Grayson.  Denali’s size combined with his gregarious personality caused Grayson to retreat with a tucked tail, only to have that show of weakness result in more attention from Denali.  Staff worked diligently to improve Grayson’s confidence by feeding the pups among the adults and by controlling Denali’s behavior through some blocking techniques that are standard in wolf care training.  These efforts seem to have worked, with this postings photo of Grayson calming walking with Denali behind him.  Of course, it helps that the pup’s are gaining height and the world doesn’t see quite as big as it once was. 

Denali- In a Submissive Moment

Denali spent the early days of the 2016 pup introduction intimidating the pups. Sometimes it was intentional with his chasing and excited playbow attempts, sometimes unintentional due to his mere size.  As the pups get older and larger, they are less intimidated by Denali.  We also encourage pup confidence by hand feeding kibble to the entire pack, controlling the interactions of the adults making sure the pup’s are comfortable and confident and get their fair share of a small, but nutritious treat.  This has been a tremendous help to Grayson and has strengthened the social interactions between Grayson and Denali.  In this photo, Grayson is offering a submissive paw to Denali, who lowers his head in response.  

Denali – Another Source of Activity

After experiencing the damage from this summer’s windstorms, we decided to be proactive and remove two trees, a large diameter white pine that had died and a second tree that had lost nearly all of its upper branches.  The risk for falling limbs was a concern potentially impacting the wolves as well as the fences.  We left a 20 foot bole of one of the trees as a back drop, but felled the other tree log near the rocks.  This gives the pups a height advantage when climbing on the rocks and improves their coordination.  For Denali, it’s also another spot for hidden treats.

Denali- A Bit more Social Grooming than a Pup Can Stand

Written by: Wolf Photography Weekend photographer Gwen Fischer

Poor Grayson – Denali took a great interest in removing the burrs off of Grayson during an epic grooming session. Axel took advantage of grooming time by sneaking up and pouncing on Grayson’s backside. But Denali was determined and despite a lot of wiggling and squirming, paws and tail in the face, and occasional growling he finished the burr removal job.

Denali – Making his Mark, but Not Quite so Obvious

In the wild, Raised Leg Urination or RLU’s, are typically associated with the dominant pair, both male and female establishing a territory and communicating their active role in pair bonding and defending that territory.  In captivity, especially with a spayed and neutered exhibit, scent marking may still be associated with dominance and confidence, but it may not be as rigid.  In our Exhibit Pack, we see scent marking vary with the individual, the time of year and the interactions among the individuals.  Most of the time, Denali displays a standing or squat urination and Aidan almost exclusively displays an RLU.  In the past month with the absence of Luna and Aidan’s preoccupation with the pups, Denali’s been a bit free to express himself.  But as fall approaches, freedom of expression seems to be waning.  In today’s image, Denali’s RLU is subdued and not quite so obvious.