Shadow is a very intense wolf. Whatever he does, he seems to do it to the highest level, whether it's dominance with Malik, bark-howling at Behind the Scenes groups, disciplining puppies etc., he displays great behavior. Shadow is very adept at wolf on wolf interaction, but put a strange human behind the scenes and he is extremely timid. Shadow prefers to have the visitor experience through the protection of the auditorium window.
With the retirement of Lucas from the main enclosure, the wolves feeding schedule and amounts were changed. The retirement crew is fed on Friday during the warmer part of the day, and the arctics are fed on the regular Saturday night feeding. Trying to regulate what the 2 arctics need has been a challenge. A whole deer is too much for the pair, often leaving them uninterested in food at the following feeding. This past Saturday, the arctic's cached the deer torso and didn't eat at all. The deer was still there in the morning, with about 20 ravens interested in the free meal.
Nancy Jo Tubbs and Jen Westlund assigned wolf care staff for today's check. "Greeted wolves through the fence first, no jumping by Arctics. Lucas in high tail position, guarding his rump from Shadow, while Shadow circles Lucas for 2 minutes. Some fence growling between Mackenzie and Shadow. Lucas and MacKenzie both submissively rolled over for the staff showing a very relaxed greeting. Lakota was only interested in a deer leg. The Arctics grabby with the window cleaning tools."
Wolf Nanny Diane Glenny writes: Malik and Shadow are getting whiter and bigger every day. They seem to be running much faster than even a few days ago but, of course, still manage to trip often. Shadow is very persistant in getting something he wants and knows how to distract Malik in getting it. Their "tussels" over objects have been getting more serious, with more growls and lunges than before. Malik and Shadow enjoy hiding leftover food for later snacks – simulating the habit of adult wolves. Malik howled once on his own after eating a strip of deer hide. Both pups howled after waking up and greeting the other nanny with whimpering. I truly enjoyed my week at the International Wolf Center and I wish I could have stayed longer. It was a privilege to work with everyone and help with the wolf pups. While the wolf pups are truly wild animals, I can't help but compare their independence and enthusiasm to that of my Siberian husky pups.
Shadow is showing more nervousness in the holding pen, and is ready to join the main pack. He has become much more aggressive through the fence since he has been off the Chlomipramine. His introduction is scheduled for tomorrow morning. Staff are spending time near the fence with Shadow to keep him distracted and reduce his anxiety.
Malik and Shadow are weighed once again. Both continue to gain muscle and body strength. Four pounds were gained per wolf since July 1st. MALIK Weight: 19.5 lbs. Length: 39" (tip of nose to end of tail) Canine length: 1/2" SHADOW Exact same stats as Malik ! Nancy Weiss writes: (first Pup Nanny for the summer) "The pups beauty is striking. Muzzles are already lengthening and their noses are large. Their eyes are round, curious and fringed with delicate lashes. Their faces are exotic and elegant. Their feet, my gosh, are already huge. Their oversized feet and long muzzles combined give them a winsome, cartoonish appearance. Malik noticed a butterfly today (7/8/00). They're both paying more attention to living things, objects, other humans and of course, the adult wolves."
Aggressive dominance of Shadow by Lucas and Mackenzie. Shadow biting Mackenzie's rump several quick attempts. Pups and Lucas then chased Lakota who seemed to be confined to the den area. Mackenzie then received good attention from the staff.
Shadow continues to bark howl at visitors to the fence. This past week, former nannies Bridget Lyons and Sandy Stoffel came to Ely for a visit. The wolves demonstrated their dominance behavior, until Shadow started to get a bit nervous and jumped on the rock to bark-howl. We try to limit Shadow's intimidation as we've seen Malik take advantage of it. Bridget and Sandy observed from the inside auditorium, where the wolves decided to take a mid-day nap.
Nancy Gibson writes: The wolf pups have new names and weights. Shadow, the red-collared pup, finally caught up to his brother, Malik, the blue-collared one with his weight. Both of them weigh 9.15 pounds according to the scale on June 15. That is a three pound weight gain in one week! The addition of solid food contributed to their accelerated weight gain. They are also 27 inches long from the tip of the tail to the nose. Their adult premolar tooth also has emerged. This development is several weeks ahead of a domestic dog such as a labrador retriever. They now have 28 sharp teeth in their mouth. Malik and Shadow are howling more regularly in response to handlers that is accompanied by a series of loud whines. The pups have also started to take notice of the fluttering of birds and scampering squirrels near their outdoor enclosure. Malik continues to be the more adventurous pup with further explorations while Shadow tends to watch his brother near a secure spot.
Nancy Gibson writes: Malik (blue collared wolf) and Shadow (red collared wolf) are six weeks old on June 19 and are beginning to look and act more wolf-like each day. Their heads are quite large in proportion to their body to house all of their senses needed for survival. Eyesight, hearing and smelling have increased dramatically and they are perceiving their surroundings better by faster reactions. They will show fear by running together into a corner and huddling close to each other and they will also more readily show excitement when familiar handlers approach. Malik is close to giving up nursing and typically sucks the first half of the formula then laps the rest. Shadow continues to show more interest in food by eagerly nursing and eating at every opportunity. His weight reflects his diet as he now surpassed his brother's weight at 11.11 pounds. Malik weighs 11.6 pounds. They love being outdoors chasing bugs and digging in the dirt to seek cool spots.
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.