Shadow has been an extremely caring adult wolf during the entire introduction process. He's been the most interactive with the pups, sometimes in a fatherly, growling, head biting way, but it does teach discipline to the pups. All the pups seem to seek him out for attention and if the pups haven't been in view for awhile, Shadow seems to be the one that checks on them, even rounding them up and bringing them to the front of the exhibit. Shadow is best known for his less than tolerable behavior towards strangers, but since the introduction, he seems much calmer when program participants receive a "Behind the Scenes" tour. It's evident that the pups are more submissive to Shadow and rarely push him around like they do Malik.
This week's photo is one you don't see too often from Shadow. Being the alpha male of the pack, his body language projects that of a dominant wolf. Rolling over to expose the inguinal area is one form of submission, and is one of the most vulnerable positions a wolf can be in. However, in this photo, he is shown scent-rolling. Scent rolling is a means of communication, and in the wild, it is a way for wolves to bring the scent of something back to the rest of the pack.
Written by Wolf Ethology Students; Amanda Rice and Lisa Kish. Shadow is still portraying his dominant role. Keeping his pack cohesive, he is always on the alert, keeping his ears perked forward in the sphinx pose as the other wolves do their own thing. Always meeting the others with a tall stance, tail raised, they remember he is boss. Constantly aware of his surroundings and his pack, it is truly facinating to watch him. Always watching from behind the trees or walking just close enough behind a pack member, he truly fits his name, Shadow.
In recent days, Shadow has been displaying increased dominance behaviors towards Malik, as can be seen in this week's photo. One of the ways that wolves communicate is through body posture, and in this photo, you can see that Shadow is giving Malik a direct stare which is a sign of dominance. Malik, a subordinate wolf, is averting Shadow's gaze. The ear positions are also worth noting, as Shadow's ears are pricked foreward with Malik's being towards the back, again another sign of dominance and submission. Malik's intimidation can also be seen in his raised hackles.
As Malik's photo notes, Shadow has again been reluctant to allow staff to deliver fly ointment. In the last few weeks, the biting flies are starting to be a problem, so alternatives are being investigated. He did allow staff to apply ointment on Sunday, by using bacon at the gate with a staff member holding the fly ointment behind. He only falls for this trick once… He also has been interested in the sled dog pups presence on site, he licked one of the puppies when it was brought to the edge of the fence. Both he and Maya will make good surrogate parents in 2008.
Shadow has been a bit shy about approaching handlers the last few days. On Friday, we brought in a special treat for him, former wolf care staff member, Damon Haan. Damon is working at the USGS wolf research lab as a technician, and his visit to Shadow was well received. Wolves have great memories, and even though it was nearly a year since they saw Damon, all wolves remembered him.
It's hard to write a short wolf log about Shadow that does any justice to the complexity and depth of his personality. This wolf clearly influences every other canid on site, and they all seem to have a response to his howls, and his mere presence at the fence line. His overall interactions with staff show more excitement and enthusiasm for social greetings than any other wolf on site.
The logs will all be the same this week. It has been an extremely busy week for the wolf curator between the job at the college and the Center. Wolf care is still done, but all other activities such as email, logs and reports are on the back burner. We had a relatively calm week except the return of the sled dogs created some stress for Shadow. He did some pacing, and in the warmer than average days, he got a bit overheated. He eventually settled down by mid-morning, and was fine the next day. This is the last trip for the dogs, and they will be moving back to their home turf by Wednesday. Aidan was less anxious and a bit more dominant, Denali got very playful, Grizzer howled, Malik ignored everything and Shadow paced. We are in the process of finalizing the Pup Care teams, and will be making decisions and sending notifications by the first week of March. We should return to a full set of logs next week.
Of all the wolves on site, Shadow was the most territorial to the howling from the sled dogs. This was easy to predict, as Shadow is still the pack leader no matter where he resides. The behaviors he displayed initially showed some panting, which is usually associated with an increased body temperature and can be stimulated by a stress response. We also saw Shadow posturing towards the back of the enclosure and his low throat howl is also an indication of his message. Shortly after the howling, he did some posturing over Malik and some intense chin rests, but later surveillance video showed them sharing the top of the den. The dogs are back on trail, and the next time they are back at base, Shadow is likely to remind them that he is the pack leader for all canids in the neighborhood.
Shadow's social interactions are like no other wolf. When he was a bit tense about the sled dogs across the road, he didn't visit as much. Now that the dogs are gone, he's going overboard with greetings. It is rewarding to work so closely with this social pack animal and of all the wolves here, Shadow is the most intense social greeting. The other behavior that he displays is the chin rest. In the updated Ethogram due out later this year, Shadow's chin rests are bound to be featured.
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