Shadow has not shown any signs of inner ear scratching since the exam. We hope that we've solved this problem and in making his physical condition improve, that we also improved his psychological condition. Staff have certainly observed a more socially interactive, stimulated, wolf since the exams. He is very tuned in to the actions of the pack and keeping his status. In the wild, people have observed sick or injured wolves that display very subdued behavior, causing people concern as they don't show the natural fear often exhibited by a healthy wild wolf. It's very important to recognize, that any wildlife species showing unusually bold, or apathetic behavior toward human presence may be responding to a physical problem and may be unpredictable.
This log was written by Cathy Jents from the Working for Wolves Weekend. The May Working for Wolves program provided the participants an opportunity to experience first hand the role of a dominant wolf. Shadow displayed excellent leadership behaviors. At our first meeting participants met the wolf pack at the fence and Shadow started a protective wolf/bark howl which the other wolves joined in. Shadow then did a distinctive sharp bark which got the attention of the other wolves and they stopped howling. It is known that these leadership behaviors and respect from the pack increases wild wolf survival. When visiting the center, you may encounter Shadow howling in a shy, nervous fashion, however, this behavior is presented to protect and care for his pack.
This week, all the wolves will have the same log text, although the photos will be different. We conducted an enclosure enrichment project, where a variety of unusual food scraps such as hamburger patties, frozen meat balls, fish and a few other food items were scattered throughout the enclosure. The wolves had a variety of responses to the items. Grizzer ran around and ate everything he could find, Maya scent marked, Shadow scent rolled, Malik investigated every spot with a high tail and excitability, Lucas food guarded, MacKenzie actually caught a burger in midair, and Lakota cached what she could take from Lucas. This type of stimulus creates high activity, a chance to use their sense of smell, and overall curiosity. Today was an overcast, cooler day, perfect for this type of high end stimulus.
The biggest concern over last week's immobilization of the arctics was the influence on Shadow's status. Staff are always aware of the vulnerability of the dominant wolves during any activity. Shadow seems to have had no problems maintaining his status. In fact, the overnight observations by the wolf watch team on Thursday May 5th observed Shadow in high spirits, actively playing with the Grizzer and Maya. It may have been the good feeling of having clean ears or a response to the separation from them, but either way, he holds his tail high, looks alert, led the pack in howls and has a lot of social contact with the pack. In the wild, dominant wolves seem to hold the pack together with this type of interaction.
Shadow had a good veterinary exam today, he was sedated so the vet could scope his ears to determine if he had ear mites. He showed a slight irritation, probably allergies, but no mites. Staff cleaned his ears well, vaccinated him and started getting some of the loose hair that he’s starting to shed. These are all things that Shadow is reluctant to allow staff to do in during the daily checks. He must be feeling good with the clean ears, as he’s running and jumping into the pond tonight and stimulating social behavior with the other wolves.
With the Memorial Day holiday, all wolf logs will contain the same text content with different video and images. The most notable event this past week involved a bit of tension between Grizzer and Malik that escalated into a short, but noisy dominance display involving the entire Exhibit Pack. Staff had noticed during the "Workin for Wolves" weekend that Grizzer was stalking Malik, but Grizzer is a bit shy around strangers, so he didn't have too much action in front of the working group. As time went by, this tension was noticeably increasing, and on Thursday morning's wolf check, Grizzer became agitated with Malik and in an instant, forced Malik onto the ground. The entire pack was involved, with varying degrees of intensity, note Maya's hesitant stance. This was Grizzer's way of reasserting that he is now the #2 male on the Exhibit, taking over Malik's role this winter. This interaction is shown in Malik's video. In Grizzer's video, you will see another wolf communication to assert dominance, in a more passive manner. Grizzer is following Malik, causing Malik to be intimidated. When the male rank order has some strife, Maya gets a bit anxious. In her video clip, you will see her seek reassurance from Shadow, and toward the end of her clip, she actually climbs on the rocks to the wolf care staff to get out of the dominance mix. Shadow is watchful of the rank order issues between the #2 and #3 males, as Grizzer may try to increase rank farther by taking him on for the dominant role. But, in Shadow's clip, you do see Shadow with Maya doing a ride-up on him and Grizzer showing submissive ears. The Retired Pack is continuing to do well, as the weather warms, staff are making an extra effort to remove the excess undercoat of hair to help cool them. Lakota enjoys a brushing, Mac is not as enthusiastic. MacKenzie cools herself by finding a shady area in the enclosure or by panting.
The pond had an outbreak of tadpoles this spring. There were hundreds of tadpoles in the pond, and their release of CO2 can be observed in Shadow’s video this week. The bubbles in the pond would be present in the morning, then dissipate later in the day. After the tadpoles disappeared, the pond was cleaned and replaced with fresh water. Shadow is very interested in staff scent, he checks out the location of the pond filter after staff have completed work on the filter.
Wolf care staff have been discussing Shadow's behavior and the noticable changes since the 2004 pup introduction. When Malik and Shadow were the only members of the exhibit pack, Shadow seemed somewhat aloof with wolf care staff, and when he did greet, it was for a short period, with limited excitement. Since the pups introduction, Shadow has taken on the role of pack leader. He's usually the first to greet, he initiates play bouts, is watchful of all other interactions and responds with high tail and facial expressions when behavior gets a bit too much. The obvious change is that for the first time in his role as an adult wolf, he has a pack to lead. It certainly reinforces the biological studies of wild wolves that speak of the roles of a dominant wolf.
Shadow's been displaying some interesting behavior lately. For years, he's been reluctant to eat in front of large crowds at the What's for Dinner program. Wolf Care Staff always made sure he had enough to eat, even if it meant that he had individual meals prepared, but his shyness towards strangers left him out of the carcass feeds. Since the 2004 pup introduction, Shadow seems to have developed more confidence as he clearly has a role in leading this pack, rather than just living with a brother. This confidence is most noteable in the last few months of pack feedings. Shadow actively guards the carcass, and dictates who feeds. On Saturday during the What's for Dinner program, Grizzer and Shadow guarded the carcass from Malik, and between Grizzer, Shadow and Maya, nearly consumed the entire deer in less than 24 hours, leaving little for Malik. Intern, Mary Murphy, notified wolf care staff and a fresh road-kill deer was fed to the pack on Sunday night. All is well, Shadow is full and has not defended the second carcass, leaving Malik and the ravens to have a few meals.
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.