If there’s one behavior that has become somewhat synonymous with Luna it would have to be the scent roll. Whether it’s fresh snow or some of her special diet “Catfish and Beans” kibble or the stomach of a recently thawed beaver, Luna will roll. The only issue is when she’s in a subordinate posture, Boltz finally has an opportunity to assert some status over a pupmate who has been dominant his whole life. Of course, this doesn’t last long, as soon as Luna is up, the game changes.
Luna is a great example of resilience. Despite all the issues she had as a pup, she is active, agile and tolerant of the sub-zero winter we’re experiencing. Her resilience doesn’t end with the cold nights and a leg issue, she shows resilience in her ability to control wolves 30 – 40 pounds larger with a a direct eye stare, a lunge and a growl. Yet, when the mood is right, she’s tail wagging and greeting with the pack.
We had some snow removal on the Center’s building roof that created an excess amount of snow in the Wolf Exhibit. This required a bobcat with a bucket attachment to move the snow away from the building and resulted in several huge piles of snow. All the wolves climbed on the piles, but Luna seemed to take advantage of the addition to her height.
Luna has taken to the role of the dominant female and she shows no hesitation to assert her status. Typically, the issues are over food possession, but despite her physical limitations, Luna will actively chase and pin her larger pack mates. Aidan will join in if there’s a compelling reason that the male rank order needs a little reminder from the dominant male, but Luna often runs solo with Denali and Boltz. In our observations, Luna is probably the most active pack member in the Exhibit Pack.
We are currently in a pattern of cold arctic air with nighttime temperatures reaching -40 degrees below zero. We are very mindful of any discomfort to Luna, but so far, we don’t see any issues. We are managing so many joint/nutritional supplements, supplement food, homeopathic treatments, warm straw beds and massages that we’re not sure which one is most effective, so we will continue all treatments to make sure Luna is as comfortable as she can be.
This log written by Wolf Care Staff volunteer, Cameron Feaster. Luna’s ability to possess food certainly surpasses any other wolf in the exhibit pack. During a mid-week feeding, a beaver was brought in for the pack, which Luna immediately possessed and guarded for the rest of the afternoon, though she ate very little of it.
This entry was written by visiting Wolf Care Staff Volunteer, Cameron Feaster. Luna’s proximity to Aidan has been of key interest this winter. As past experience has shown us, pairbonding between the dominant male and female will increase as we get closer to the breeding season, even though the wolves are spayed and neutered. These days Luna spends a lot of her time interacting with, and resting near Aidan. In this week’s youtube video, you can see Luna rest in the straw beside Aidan while he feeds on a beaver carcass. This behavior could be due to her seeking warmth, but it may also be a part of the pairbonding ritual.
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.
Luna has been a bit more dominant than usual and continues to run after Boltz and Denali. We continually watch for irritation or pain response from her joint/leg issues, but she shows no sign of pain or slowing down. We’ve started placing straw in the enclosure and that seems to be a favorite spot for her to defend.
Luna’s been very active lately, doing more stalking than any other pack member. She seems to be handling the wet snow conditions, but temperatures are right around freezing. Things may change when we get temperatures below zero. We have straw in both dens and all the wolves have warm dry beds of their choosing. We will be purchasing some new IT Balance food for Luna that is similar to the components of her nutritional supplement that she received as a pup. This new food is expensive, but if it will help her maintain her vitamin D levels, it will be worth it. She looks great, her winter coat is thick and does a great job of holding snow in what appears to be the start of winter.
