What can we say about Maya other than, it must be tough to keep control of things that you can easily walk under. Maya has no problem walking under Denali without even stooping. The constant vocalization must be tiring for her as well as the rest of the pack, but that is a method to assert authority without being physical and that is the reason why vocalization is used. Maya is probably the most complex wolf on site, but we appreciate all that she has taught us about pack dynamics. While filming the Youtube video this week, we observed a parallel gate between Maya and Grizzer, unfortunately, we didn't get it on film, only the ending where Maya licked Grizzer in the face. We think Maya would appreciate some help, it's just not certain who is going to be that male leader.

Wolf care staff have commented on how social Maya has been lately, given longer greetings and more intensity than she has in a long time. We also notice that Maya is getting more guarding of wolf care staff and attempts to keep Denali and Aidan away. Maya has also started a behavior of following the scat collectors while they do their job. It's like having a direct supervisor right in the enclosure.

Maya was probably the most active wolf during the Wolf Watch program. Maya was actively patrolling the enclosure, did a few lunges to keep Aidan and Denali under control, and even did a few lone howls towards some threat in the distance. The most notable behavior during the wolf watch was her guarding behavior of Grizzer. When Grizzer was laying near the greeting rock, she blocked him from both Aidan and Denali. Maya has also developed an interesting behavior towards wolf care staff. When staff pick up scat with the bucket, Maya is the direct supervisor, following closely as they complete their tasks. This behavior started about a month ago, and has become a predictable pattern during wolf care. We haven't developed a rationale, but the fact that she stays with the scat collectors, means that Aidan gets Maya-free time with the other wolf care staff.

Maya seems to be more relaxed since Grizzer has stepped up his role in showing Denali some status. Maya's relaxation is good for all pack members, especially Aidan. Now, the question remains, will Maya show associative pair bonding behavior with Grizzer like she did with Shadow? Wolves don't have any social rules about litter mates pairing, but there are times that Maya doesn't seem to respectful of Grizzer. But, if he keeps Denali in line, he must have some value.

Today Groan is 28 days old. During the 3 p.m. pup program, she became very anxious. Staff let her run along the ledge of the observation window, which calmed her down. Today, when Grizz and Nubee sought out Groan to lay next to, Groan got up and moved to another area of the pup pen. When they followed her, she again moved to another area of the pup pen. The precaudal gland on her tail is evident. This appears as a darker, diamond-shaped patch of fur located about halfway down the tail. At her noon feeding, she ate a 1/4 cup of weaning formula given in a bowl and did not feed from the bottle. She is exhibiting play-bows, pouncing, and stalking behaviors with her siblings.

In the interest of saving time, all wolf logs will be the same today. Most of the wolf care staff time is spent attempting to keep the wolves cool during an unusually warm stretch of weather. The temperatures over the Memorial Day weekend soared to 90 degrees with high humidity. This is problematic weather for wolves that have not completed shedding, and who's primary method of cooling is through panting. Wolves pant to evaporate heat from their system, when the humidity is high, little evaporation occurs. This is why wolves in the wild are commonly termed nocturnal animals, meaning they are active mainly at night. Here at the Center, sprinkler hoses were installed to keep the temperatures cooler. In the retired enclosure, modifcations to the hose installation were made, when MacKenzie became anxious about the hose over her head. Her vision is declining, and the hose over her head must have been too much. The hose was re-installed to follow the north fence line, which will also spread a nice layer of water over the newly planted vines. To add another summer task, biting flies hatched over the weekend, requiring the first application of fly ointment. All wolves were treated, except of course, Shadow, who heads for the hills when fly ointment appears. The arctics were started on a dose of brewer's yeast with garlic in hopes of providing some natural repellent. This gift of garlic as well as a long list of other treats and equipment was generously donated by Miss Susan Sweeney's Biology I class – period 2+3; from Pennsylvania…

Today, Groan is 25 days old. When Groan was brought out to see Malik and Shadow she was little aggressive letting out a little growl. During public programming she did not appear to be stressed from the audience. During the program she was fighting with a stuffed toy. Groan frequently directs aggressive behavior towards Nubee, her younger littermate. Following three public programs Groan along with the other two pups seemed to be exhausted from the excitement and spent most of the afternoon sleeping.

Groan is 26 days old. She does not appear bothered by the public programs. She is displaying more head-shaking behaviors towards her siblings, towels, and stuffed animals. She also displayed pouncing behaviors with Grizz. She stalked him and then pounced on him when he walked near her. Groan also is showing more dominance behaviors toward Nubee than Grizz. She was jabbing her paw at Grizz and then rolled over in front of him, exposing her belly. She was given weaning formula in a bowl and ate approx. 1 oz.

Groan has been increasing her dominance behavior over Nubee and has been increasingly interested in the pen entrance as the escape route. She has also submitted to one of the wolf care staff members. She greets the wolf care handlers very enthusiastically often getting on their laps expecting a bottle feeding. She remains a very vocal pup and expresses herself when disturbed by growling and groaning at the staff.

The most noteable behavior since Shadow's retirement is the fact that Maya, while still showing some dominance, has much less tension. She clearly will have an influence on who leads this pack, but for right now, she is involved in all interactions. The wolf care staff will be coordinating a few more observation periods in the upcoming months to watch these dynamics unfold. Most observations need to occur after hours, during the cooler parts of the day, so watch the web for short – one night programs called "Wolf Watches", allowing people to participate in these observations.