Shadow is taking his role as the pack leader very seriously. He seems to have established his dominance over Mallik, and Grizzer gives him no grief. The females have their own issues, and Shadow seems to be favoring Maya during their disputes. It will be interesting to see if the female role is established this winter and if Shadow has anything to do with it.
Shadow had his favorite exhibit maintenance project completed: staw on top of the den. His favorite spot to watch the parking lot and the exhibit window. Of course, now we received nearly a foot of snow and the straw has to be dug up again, but that's what wolf care staff are for (in Shadow's mind anyway). The wolves seem to have a new spirit with a fresh blanket of snow, especially the arctics.
Shadow is doing well. He's still extremely tolerant of the puppies actions, although he does have his limits and disciplines them. In this week's photo, Grizzer is jumping on Shadow's back. Shadow put up with it for a while, but as Nyssa's expression indicates, he's about to put an end to Grizzer's play bout.
Even though Shadow is the wolf in charge of the exhibit pack, he is not immune to the allure of fresh snow. He has been observed multiple times joining in on games of chase with the pups, his tail high over his back. Such games usually end up with Shadow reasserting his dominance over the pups or Malik. As winter comes into full swing and testosterone levels increase, wolf care staff is prepared to see a lot more dominance interactions between Shadow and the rest of the pack.
1-5-04 "In an effort to increase the tolerance of the arctic wolves toward strangers (in preparation for the increase number of people in the wolf yard for the nanny program next summer), Curator Lori Schmidt has been conducting special Behind the Scenes visits. The retired wolves seem very willing to see the groups, with the exception of MacKenzie who is a bit skittish, probably due to her restricted vision. The arctics tend to me much shyer toward strangers. Their response varies from tucked tail and intimidation at the fence, to an all out bolt up to the upper enclosure. They seem better when Curator Lori Schmidt is in the pen or near them, but they still show anxiety. Shadow has taken to bark howling in defense or warning toward the groups. Dr. Les Lynn and his students from New Jersey visited the Center and took a Behind the Scenes tour. Shadow bark howled when the group was outside, but had a good greeting with Lori after the group went back inside.
All wolves received Rabies and Parvo/DHLPP vaccinations today administered by Wolf Curator, Lori Schmidt and Program Specialist, Jen Westlund.
Puppies on site today, weather was rainy and damp. Staff will wait until the weather improves to bring the pups out to meet Shadow and Malik.
Good visit with all wolves except Shadow. He was guarding food from the Ravens at the top of the enclosure, and didn't want to come down. A group of about 15 ravens had gathered in the trees.
May 30, 2000 The puppies visited the vet again on May 30 to get their weights checked and they continue to thrive with a steady weight gain. The blue-collared wolf weighs 4 pounds 13 ounces and the red-collared wolf is just slightly behind at 4 pounds 9 ounces. They are both walking well with their feet completely underneath their body. They spent part of the holiday weekend outside but they didn't travel much beyond 6 feet from their handlers. This is typical of wild wolf pups that would start to explore the immediate area around the den once they could walk. Their light colored underfur is now noticeable around their head. Their fur will start to lighten all around their body the next two weeks until they are almost blonde. The red-collared pup joined his brother for a howl on May 28.
June 2, 2000 The pups made their semi-weekly visit to the vet on June 2 to get weighed and checked. The blue-collared pup weighed in at 5 pounds and 11 ounces and the red one weighs 5 pounds and 7 ounces. This is a typical weight gain of wild pups. They now measure 21 inches from the tip of the tail to the nose. Both of the pups are moving faster with a good trot if they smell their formula. In addition, they are begining to enjoy the outdoors more by wandering away from the handlers about ten feet and then returning shortly thereafter with a series of whines for reassurance. They will be taken outdoors more each day to simulate what they would be doing by their den in the wild. They are playing more with each other with play biting and growling which begins the survival training process.
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.