Malik had a bit more stress with the tree removal process than the work crews. If you have been monitoring the logs over the years, you may recall a problem we had in the main enclosure in 2008. A large aspen tree fell and landed on the fence wall, causing a Malik a significant amount of anxiety. When the tree removal contractor did some climbing in Grizzer's new habitat (he wanted to safely rope down a dead tree top to avoid hitting a fence), Malik seemed to have a flashback. Fortunately, we finished that project and everything is back to normal.
Malik has been extremely social this week, and as the Youtube video shows, he tries to lick the camera. We have scheduled the veterinary exam for next week. You may notice the webcams down for a period of time. This is standard practice during a medical exam so staff can stay focused on the wolves, rather than worrying about what they’re projecting on camera. We will also drain the pond to avoid any slipping while coming out of anesthesia. The Veterinarians will make a final determination on the abscessed tooth and they will receive a full blood panel to see if we have other old age issues lurking.
Malik and Shadow had a successful immobilization. We did pull Malik's tooth, and after looking at the decomposition of the root, it was a good thing that we did. This abscess would have continued to be a problem. Malik had some other issues with some slight hair loss on his shoulder and back hip, and blood work will determine if this might be caused by a thyroid problem. We will keep the logs updated as the results are available. We did offer Malik a deer leg the night of the immobilization to see how he would eat, he had no problem eating them both (even though one was meant for Shadow).
This past weekend was the first in a series of three Planning for Pups programs. Denali and Aidan did an excellent job of demonstrating the value of socializing pups. Grizzer was tolerant, although we were very careful to give him his privacy. Shadow started a bark howl on Sunday morning, but that was probably more directed at the Curator for applying fly ointment to his ears. Due to the extra work load this weekend, all wolves will share one log posting.
Malik is gaining status by the day, due to the fact that Grizzer has become completely dosile, likely influenced by pups and prolactin hormone. Malik seems indifferent to the pups, he does lick them at the fence, but is not as focused on them as the other 3 wolves. Malik is the only wolf who does not care for Jake, the curator's dog. Jake was used in 2004 with Maya and Grizzer, so they are very social with whines and full tail wags when they see Jake. Shadow seems to accept him without concern, possibly because it's the curator's dog. Malik would like to drag him through the fence… So, the pup fence barriers next to the enclosure are a benefit for Jake, who will be helping Lakota and the pups in the upcoming weeks.
Malik has been using this prolactin calming period to gain some status over Grizzer. It is likely to be short-lived, but it is classic wolf behavior to exploit a weakness. Malik seems to be the least interested in the pups, of course, that doesn't mean he won't accept them, and we are not concerned about it since Shadow and Maya are so attached. This week's photo shows Malik in high tail as he jumps on the greeting rock where Grizzer was sleeping, the follow up picture is posted in Grizzer's log, where Grizzer averts his gaze and eventually gives the rock space to Malik.
Malik still shows no anxiety towards Grizzer, actually he's quite indifferent. His abscess tooth issue is back after two months of no issues. He starts another course of antibiotic, and we will plan for a complete medical exam in April when environmental conditions are warmer and snow in the enclosure is gone. This week's photo shows him actively scraping the ground, and as in the past, he has no problem eating and breaking bones of the chicken, deer or beaver.
We had good success with the last course of antibiotics on the abscess, and there is no signs of issues. The weather is typical spring in Minnesota, some warm melting days, followed by cooler days with snow. The ice conditions are very extreme here and we notice Malik is sticking to preexisting paths for travel. There is a lot of snow yet to melt and we would expect the mud season will last for a while. The next task is to start to remove the large volume of straw that was used this winter.
Malik has been posturing far more towards Shadow and the timing seems to coincide with some decline in Shadow's food consumption as well as an increase in water consumption. The medical examination scheduled for Malik in the upcoming month will include an examination and complete blood panel for Shadow. Shadow's been showing some intolerance towards some staff, which usually means he's not feeling the best. We also know Malik to be an opportunist, and when Shadow's down a bit, Malik pushes status.
Malik and Shadow have an interesting relationship. Shadow has always been the more dominant wolf ever since they were pups, but when Shadow let's his guard down, Malik is right there to test. Staff were commenting on this today right before Malik tried to steal a hat. I guess it's not just Shadow that has to be concerned about letting down their guard.
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