Malik is doing better after some focused behavior towards him last week. He was calm enough to go into holding with the pack before Saturday nights feeding and he seems to have calmed his tendency to grab bite at Grizzer when Grizzer and the pups are wrestling. In an effort to give Malik some more private space to rest, straw beds have been placed in the lower portion of the enclosure. Of course, as soon as the new straw beds were placed, Grizzer, Shadow and Maya marked them and the pups rolled in them. Malik didn't go near them, but if we consistently create the space, he should find comfort in them. We are preparing for the coldest weather of the season this week, temperatures in the – 40 degree range with colder wind chills.
Malik is much more relaxed in the last few days. There must have been some behavioral solution to the question about who's running this pack. Shadow is clearly in charge and Malik is content to give him some space. Behavioral interactions are very calm in the Exhibit Pack today.
The wolves did well with the recent cold snap last week. Wolf care faced temperatures of – 39 below on 2 mornings, – 32 below on one morning and a warm spell of – 26 below and Friday's balmy – 16 below… The wolf care staff are here 7 days a week, 365 days a year to ensure that the wolves have the best care possible. Upon the vet's recommendation, we started Malik on a morning dose of 2 baby aspirin to take the edge off of 81/2 year old bones. It has worked wonders. Malik is less cranky and doesn't growl at Grizzer as much, which results in less dominance scuffles between these two. Malik has even been spending time with wolf care staff, rubbing up against the staff and greeting. We know when he feels achy, he tends to avoid interacting and is a bit testy. We will likely continue this treatment through the winter months, and see how he fairs when the weather warms.
Malik is much more active in the front of the Exhibit, and benefits from the pups association with Grizzer. Especially when the pups have Grizzer occupied. One thing we have noticed, is that Malik gets a lot more grief if the pack is drawn into the holding area. It seems the pack response is to chase Malik when they are back in the Exhibit area. So, until the winter hormonal season declines, the use of the holding area and access to the Retired Enclosure will be limited to Saturday feedings only.
Even though Malik gives a great lip curl and food defense display. Grizzer takes his food anyway, only to leave it a few feet later. The staff always make sure there are plenty of food resources for wolves like Malik to passively defend their share from outgoing wolves like Grizzer.
Last week, I referenced the fact that I was seeing following behavior which indicates a bit of a hormonal influence stimulating rank order posturing. This week, we see more active dominance with chin rests. Malik is still clearly submissive to Shadow, but you can see Malik's opportunistic side as he lets out a defiant growl or tries to do a direct eye stare. Malik and Shadow's situation is similar to Aidan and Denali. Malik is the opportunist just like Denali. Shadow is somewhat intimidated by strangers just like Aidan. If Shadow or Aidan are intimidated, we can see the potential for the opportunists to take advantage. But, the benefit for Shadow is that there aren't other wolves joining in. Aidan has two pups to deal with that may join in Denali's testing. We will do all we can to keep the wolf yard calm and reduce the stress levels.
Malik’s video on YouTube shows a satisfied wolf enjoying a pig’s ear treat. His weight gain is a pleasant surprise for staff; he went from an average of 88 lbs, to 91 lbs. It’s not a significant weight gain, but for older animals that usually decline in weight, it’s a great sign.
Malik doesn't have too much news to report, both the arctics seem to be spending time in the den, and the fly treatment seems to be working.
Malik is one of those wolves that is extremely observant about staff and specifically objects that staff are carrying or wearing. He's had some fun with hats and hairbands in the past week and he eyes up every staff member to see what's accessible. This opportunistic behavior is characteristic of these large carnivores.
In the interest of getting logs posted tonight, I’m copying the same text. The priorities in my job include pup feeding time. We have a short period of time to maximize growth and get Luna and Boltz the resources necessary to prepare for a Northern Minnesota winter. Feedings require time, patience and some ingenuity. As I write this, I just finished a successful pup feeding with Luna eating over a pound of venison and another ½ pound of chicken. It was not quite as successful with Boltz, but he was caching everything I offered, so he must have been full. Boltz does utilize the remaining carcasses from previous feedings and his scats are dark, indicating meat consumption. Aidan has had some tremendous social bonding behavior with Luna, unfortunately, I didn’t get it on tape. With cooler weather stimulating hormones, we are bound to see more. Grizzer is the beneficiary of most of the pups left overs. He does enjoy that part of wolf care. Shadow and Malik continue to posture with Shadow more dominant, but they don’t have any issues when it comes to sharing the den in a rainstorm. Thanks for checking in, I hope to have more time next week to give a more complete update of each wolf. We have started to increase the feedings or all the retirees, and are in need of some pigs ears to serve as distractions as the pups continue to be the focus of the staff.
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