This is the classic Malik pose – a handsome example of an Arctic wolf. As a follow-up to a previous log: the scar beneath Malik's left eye is healing nicely.
The wolf care staff conducted another enclosure enrichment project with frozen chicken this morning. The wolves are locked into holding, while some general maintenance is done in the enclosure. Their reward when returning is to locate a few treats scattered around the enclosure. This enrichment encourages the wolves to use their sensory abilities and provides good stimulus. Malik is most excited when he finds a treat and can elude the other wolves.
Life in the male rank order is back to the usual status of Shadow, Malik, Grizzer or Shadow, Grizzer, Malik depending upon how closely Shadow is watching the interactions between Grizzer and Malik. Staff spent a lot of time helping Shadow deal with the anxiety of the tresspass behind the enclosure last week. During Shadow's off behavior, Malik took advantage of the situation at every possible moment. Rank order is extremely important in the wild to maintain leadership of the pack, the same genetic drive exists in captivity.
Many visitors wonder how we tell Malik from Shadow. The first identification key is the facial structure. Malik has a cowlick in the middle of his face and has a much narrower skull. He also has more almond shaped eyes rather than Shadow having more rounded eyes. This week's photo shows both characteristics. The other method for identifying wolves is by behavior. Malik is always a bit more nervous than Shadow, because he's the second ranking male, but he's also a bit mischevious, looking for an opportunity to test Shadow's position. So if there's a wolf hanging out on the edge with a tail up trying to sneak up and get involved, it's probably Malik.
Sorry for the lack of logs over the past week. The curator was at a State Wildlife Society meeting. It was a great meeting and one of the most important messages from this meeting is the need to preserve contiguous tracts of habitat for species. As the human population grows and land development occurs, we need to always plan for the greenspaces that keep wildlife populations viable. Even in a captive facility, we have a need to manage for vegetation and quality habitat. This weeks photos of Grizzer and Maya prove why this is a challenge, but the Workin' for Wolves programs and the Adults at Two Years programs that are offered this summer, will aid in the endeavor of planting more trees. So, in the interest of getting photos up on the log, all the text will be the same. For each log, all wolves are healthy and during the curators absence, they were in the capable hands of wolf care staff Jen Westlund, Matt Fetterer, Jess Edberg, Andrea Lorek Strauss and Laurie Fella.
Malik is still a bit nervous when staff enter the enclosure, not from the staff, but the anticipation of a chase from Shadow and Grizzer as they get excited. So far, the dominance displays have been calm. Malik continues to test and push his limits with Shadow until Shadow pursues, usually with Grizzer at his side. There has been documentation that Shadow, Maya and Grizzer have been sleeping in the den together, while Malik sleeps on a straw bed on the hill.
As was noted last week, Malik seems to be trying to maintain status with Maya and Grizzer when Shadow is not reigning him in. This week found Malik attempting the same behaviors, but as the photo shows, he often found the tables turned. Notice the high tail posture that Grizzer is displaying and the intense eye stare from Maya.
Written by "Wolves at 2 Years" program participants Trevor and Sheila Ludden. At 6:30 am, Malik joined in an early morning howl, off to the opposite side of the enclosure from the other three wolves. After the howl, Malik participated in a group rally, runing from the other three and cirlcing around the more social interactions of Grizzer and Maya. Malik also briefly faced off with Shadow, who then ignored him.
Again, we apologize for the delay in wolf logs, our intent is to post once a week, but wolf care is always the priority over every other job. These past few weeks, the facility and grounds area of wolf care has needed our attention. This season is best known as the ice season, when daytime temperatures create melting, but nighttime temperatures revert back to freezing. Conditions are slippery and hazardous, not only for the staff, but the wolves as well. Thanks to the kind donation of straw from Theresa Williams, the enclosures are getting a fresh layer of straw to increase traction. This is most problematic for the retired wolves, as any slip on the ice can affect older, more brittle bones and joints. The wolves are doing well, and are spending a significant amount of time sleeping in the sun. Lakota seems to have been up to a few other things, as she has a new canine bite on the nose. Staff seem to think the bite was from MacKenzie, but based on our interactions with Lakota, she pushes the limit with both Lucas and MacKenzie.
As winter approaches and hormone levels rise, the wolf care staff have seen an increase in the activity levels of the wolves. During wolf care in the mornings and throughout the day, wolf care staff have observed the wolves chasing each other around the enclosure at full speed. In this photo, Shadow (with a high tail) and Grizzer can be seen chasing Malik across the pond.
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.