One event that happened this week is the launching of the Center’s new Web cam that features a view from the top of the den. The den top is a favorite resting spot for wolves during the winter months. The cooler temperatures inside the den make it a favorite during the summer months, and we often have wolves lying in the doorway of the den when the temperatures increase. We would like to acknowledge one of our members, Johanna Goering, for donating this new camera and the resources necessary for bringing it to our website. Our plan is switch the retired pack camera to the Center’s website and, after fundraising efforts, get a camera that can follow the activities of the new pups in 2008 and thereafter reside in the Exhibit Pack. As we move through this transition, you can still find the existing webcams hosted by www.elyminnesota.com. It’s been an interesting week for weather and changes in wolves’ behaviors. The warming trend, turned winter weather pattern seems to be affecting the pack. Dominance rank order behavior had been calming and Shadow was returning to a playful social companion rather than a pack leader on alert. He and Grizzer were even viewed in some social behavior, then the snow hit again, and it was back to Grizzer testing and Shadow being proactive. Although, the intensity of dominance has certainly decreased, Shadow and Malik still vocalize to Grizzer. As this week’s photo shows, raven activity continues to be present in the pack. Usually, by this time of the year, ravens start dispersing and searching for nests, leaving very few to scavenge the leftover carcasses. In this week’s video, you will see several raven’s in the background, some taking food from the wolves, without much response from the wolves.
Forty degrees isn’t warm, unless you’re a wolf with a full coat of winter pelage. This is the time of the year that wolves start relying on their physical adaptations for cooler. Grizzer demonstrates two methods in this week’s photo lay low during the warmest parts of the day and pant to evaporate heat and moisture off your tongue. Wolves’ adaptations favor a warm winter coat rather than bare skin covered with sweat glands. The only active cooling sweat glands a wolf possesses are in their paws. As reported in previous logs, Grizzer has moved up in rank, and with higher status comes some rights. His video shows one of those rights, the chance to stand on the main rock. While every wolf gets to do this, one thing noticed in recent observations, is that during a howling episode, Shadow generally gets the main rock for a howling position, but in two of the recent howling episodes, this right went to Grizzer with Shadow remaining on the ground.
Video and still photos this week’s show Grizzer in a very intense submission with Shadow. Clearly there was no loss of respect for Shadow’s position. Grizzer also showed some interest in Maya’s wounds, but even her own littermate doesn’t want to get too close to Maya when she’s got that focused look.
Grizzer has reduced his howling bouts but still engages in response to Shadow and Malik. As the spring melt occurs, he is spending more time resting in the shaded portion of the enclosure and less time in the overhead kennel. Staff continue to spend time with him and this week’s Youtube shows a short clip of a staff visit. There have been questions about Grizzer’s status, and yes, he will be managed alone for the short term for several reasons. I put them in bullet format: <br> 1. We want to make sure he has a good hair growth over his suture sites before he meets any other social companions (except humans). <br> <br> 2. We don’t want to have any snow or ice if we do consider an introduction into retirement or a visit from Shadow. <br> <br> 3. We want to wait for the natural hormonal cycling for calmer, prolactin influenced wolf behavior.<br> <br> 4. We want a complete medical exam on the Retirees to make sure there are not any medical issues that could be magnified by a stressful change to pack dynamics. <br> <br> 5. We want to have the alternate habitat done in case a introduction into retirement doesn’t work out<br> <br> There was one more question I received regarding a camera on Grizzer’s enclosure. Yes, this will occur, we are currently researching models, and will need to do some internet upgrades to the lab as we have no more ports available. I anticipate having something online near the end of May.
Grizzer's pack holding area is temporary, as plans are being made to build a permanent habitat for him. He is very keen on activities in both the retired and Exhibit Pack, pawing at the gate by the retireds and jumping and grabbing at the fence when the Exhibit Pack is playing. We decided that he would not join the Exhibit Pack again, despite his clear behavioral displays to be part of that pack. He and Denali have a strong bond of communication between him, and Denali is spending more time sleeping near Grizzer than he is with Aidan. Some people have asked about Grizzer joining Shadow and Malik, but we won't know about that scenario until late spring, when ice and snow conditions are gone and the cycle of prolactin increases. We have to be sure of Grizzer's response towards Malik. We do know that we will not make any move for him until he has a complete recovery of his head.
The pack has had a quiet week, so there's not much news to report and all logs will be the same. The Center is moving forward on an additional habitat for Grizzer with a design that will allow continued access to the current pack holding area. He has become quite comfortable in this area and its' location is right in the Center of Wolf Lab activity which seems to be of interest to Grizzer. This is a bit reminiscent of Lakota.
Grizzer has been very playful this past week. He really seems to enjoy fresh snowfall and does a behavior called a snowplow. Basically a snowplow is putting one's nose to the ground and pushing snow (sometimes they have their front legs down and are walking with their back legs), sometimes, as in Grizzer's case, they are pushing snow while on their backs. Grizzer almost looks like he's making snow angels. We also see a lot of playbows and chases with wolf care staff (no, we don't chase, but Grizzer invites a chase by running around the enclosure). We are moving forward with an increase to his habitat. A tree removal company will be starting the process of hazard tree removal in the new fence line area and then fence construction will begin.
Grizzer has been howling less, and directing his howl towards the Retired Pack more than the Exhibit Pack. He's been resting more often when staff arrive, often laying in the straw bed and only getting up to stretch when they have his meds ready. We are trying a few different distractions for him. One of the staff donated a food ball (formerly used by a Pot bellied Pig), which has an opening to fill it with kibble, as the ball rolls, the kibble is suppose to come out. Grizzer rolled it around a bit when he first received it (this is in the Youtube clip this week), but he lost interest, and hasn't used it much since. We have to be very cautious on any dog toys that are used, we can't have any product that he could chew and consume.
Grizzer has had great improvements this week. He is howling less with the exception of some howls when wolf care staff leave his enclosure. He started playbowing behavior towards staff, followed by a chase around the enclosure. He is getting daily treatments on his head to keep it clean and to help the healing process. The areas where the new hair is growing seem to itch the most, and he often lays in the straw bed after treatment letting the wolf care staff scratch his head.
Grizzer is feeling the warmth of spring as his full winter coat is intact, and temperatures in the 60's make it difficult to cool off. He's been digging in Lakota's old den, and we are thankful for the shade of the pack holding area, but we need to get him some access to water for wading. While a full pond is probably not in his future, we hope to try a small rubber made wading pool, similar to Lakota, MacKenzie and Lucas's first pool.
The International Wolf Center advances the survival of wolf populations by teaching about wolves, their relationship to wildlands and the human role in their future.