Malik's confidence is tied to two things, the distraction of Grizzer with Denali, and the presence of Shadow. When Shadow is nearby and Denali is grabbing Grizzer by the scruff, Malik is in high tail, charging in on Grizzer. When Grizzer is alone and following Malik, his posture is as low to the ground as possible. Malik was observed in several social behaviors on Saturday. The pack was pretty excited with a special Halloween treat of a beaver following the "beaver dissection" event for the public festivities. Shadow became excited and did a few invite chase behaviors, where he runs in front of another wolf to get them to chase him. Malik got excited and did a jump and whirl in the air, followed by a quick dash up the back side of the slate den to foreleg stab Grizzer. No aggression resulted from this behavior, just some social interaction.
Malik has been showing quite a bit of dominance lately, mostly in response to Shadow having a few off days. We're not sure about the cause, but Shadow has been reluctant to eat and overall seems more subdued than his usual active self. Malik has always been an opportunistic wolf that will posture and try for some rank when available. Actually, he's an opportunist that tries for anything, hats, sponges, drills, wrenches, just about anything the wolf care staff have in their hand or make the mistake of setting down unattended.
Malik had his week of gaining some status while Shadow was a bit off, but Shadow is back to feeling good and Malik is trying to keep his confidence. The only issue is, Shadow doesn't seem to tolerate Malik's postures. There has been a return of chin rests and following from Shadow, and Malik responds with some flat ears, a bit of hackles and a change of attitude.
Malik had a special day today. His favorite handler, Jen Westlund did a check this morning and he really enjoys the attention. Of course, Shadow thinks the world of Jen too, but for Malik, it is a good day when he can interact with Jen. Malik appears to be backing off on his testing behavior towards Shadow, now that Shadow is feeling better and back in command of most situations. As I write this, they are sleeping in the den together and all is well in retirement.
There's no real news to report in retirement. Malik and Shadow really are quite compatible, that is when Malik stops caching in the den. The mild weather has been a bonus for these older animals, Malik can be a bit stiff in the mornings, but with temperatures in the 20's during the day, he seems to be doing well.
Malik and Shadow will not be part of the medical exam, they both had an exam last May and the pups will not be interacting at the fence with the retired wolves. Malik had some good opportunity to defend a few deer legs last week, but with a mid-week feeding, he and Shadow are often sleeping on the den together.
With Maya temporarily controlling Grizzer, Malik’s life has become a bit calmer, as evident in his video clip this week. Wolf care staff can always identify tensions in the pack based on Malik’s growl response. All wolves enjoyed a full deer carcass on Saturday night, with Malik showing a full stomach on Sunday morning.
Malik is doing well, but he is definitely on the defensive with Shadow and Grizzer. He has been observed circling with a low tail and pinned ears, which usually provokes Shadow and Grizzer to chase. He does get some quiet time on the straw beds and when greeting wolf care staff as this week's photo demonstrates.
Malik is doing well, despite the dominance tension with Grizzer. He is very agile for an 8 1/2 year old wolf, and is probably the wolf with the greatest speed in the exhibit. Of course, he gets a lot of aerobic exercise springing in and out of different dominance interactions and the chases by Grizzer. Grizzer's size makes him a bit outmatched by Malik's streamline body.
Malik sustained a knee injury last week and has had a course of anti-inflammatory and antibiotic treatments this week. The scuffle was between he and Grizzer. It started out with Grizzer wrestling with the pups, then Malik coming in for some grab bites and foreleg stabs on Grizzer. When Grizzer had enough, he chased Malik and pinned him to the ground, grabbing the front of Malik's knee with a small, yet painful puncture bite. Malik has had ACL issues since he was a yearling, so any knee problem is significant. He responded extremely well with the anti inflammatory and was back to racing around the exhibit on the next day. Malik's life would be easier if he wouldn't take advantage of Grizzer when the pups are wrestling with Grizzer, but he sees this as an opportunity, and he goes for it. Wolves are all about looking for opportunities and using them to their advantage. Malik continues to be an active member of the pack and seeks support from Shadow.
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