The wolf logs are all the same this week due to the obligations to the Ethology class and an 80 degree heat and humidity spell that requires the curator to be spending time keeping the wolves cool. We had a great Ethology course this week, and the staff at the Center learned some great new techniques for managing anxiety, thanks to some tremendous resources among our program participants. The wolves did extremely well, even allowing for small group tours of Grizzer’s enclosure extension on the last night. Grizzer’s ground wire is in place, the next week will focus on burying the ground wire, completing the concrete pads and laying out the den. Our hope is to move him by July 15th. Shadow and Malik have a significant amount of hair remaining, but we continue to hand pluck the hair on a daily basis. Today is extremely warm and humid, so extra sprinkler time and use of the water hose is critical. Enjoy the 4th of July weekend, and be safe. Someone had asked if the wolves panic due to the fireworks noise, and the answer is no, we do some very positive conditioning as pups to fireworks, and they are very accustom to thunderstorms, showing no negative issues with this noise. Wind on the other hand, makes them nervous.
While wolf care staff gets excitable greetings from Shadow and Malik (including jumps up on the den), warm weather always brings a reminder of their age. At 11 years old, they may be spry to greet, but hot humid weather is harder with age. We were very concerned about Shadow in a recent heat spell, and he had a harder time cooling himself. This is likely due to their late shedding pattern. We have since managed to brush 3 – 4 bags of hair from him, and he is significantly less burdened by hair. Shadow does like a mist spray, and will often squint his eyes and stand under the spray until he's sufficiently coated with water, then he retreats back to the den to keep watch.
The cedar oil in the den works well, we even started trying some in the lab. There appears to be some slight dominance between these two individuals, especially if the pups are making some noise.
Shadow is subtle in his ways, but a sideways glance towards Malik will make Malik's ears drop. The depth of this wolf as it relates to body language is still amazing to me, even after 11 years. Wolves are great teachers and even when they're retired, we value the lessons they offer.
To say that Shadow is still a pack leader is an understatement. He has command of everything on site. He can chin rest on Malik and send a message of dominance. One stare through the gate at Grizzer and Grizzer will back off. Shadow howls to Aidan and Denali and they stop whatever activity they have started. Shadow even controls the wolf care staff, a growl through the fence and he gets his meds delivered in a different method. The only one he's not controlling is Oscar. Due to Malik's overt aggression towards Oscar, Oscar is restricted from going past the pack holding area. It is too bad, I think Shadow would enjoy Oscar visits.
Due to the Planning for Pups weekend, the excessive heat and the ongoing work on Grizzer’s habitat, this week’s logs will contain the same content for each wolf. Aidan was weighed during Planning for Pups and he's lost a few pounds, down to 120 lbs probably due to construction. Denali was weighed and has increased by a pound, up to 125 lbs. The first thing we need to do is introduce the newest member of the wolf care team. Oscar, a collie mix dog, was recently adopted from the Range Regional Animal Rescue facility in Hibbing Minnesota. We decided to look for a dog that could help provide some social stimulus to Grizzer (through the fence, not as a pack mate) as well as serve for a role model for the 2012 pups. Grizzer is very social, rubbing up against the fence when Oscar approaches, of course, Oscar is always on a leash and under direct supervision, Grizzer is still a wolf. We discovered Oscar and his perpetual grin on his website photo stimulated our application for adoption. Aidan is excitedly whining towards Oscar and Oscar has also helped some of Aidan’s anxiety going through the medical pen gates. Shadow and Malik are stimulated as well, allowing staff to liberally coat fly ointment spray on their heads and ears as they watch Oscar. This is a bonus, as they are usually hard to treat. Oscar has a large extended family, with many staff offering to take him for walks and social time with staff off-site, but Oscar’s home is the Center, and each night, he settles into a sleeping bag as staff put on a CD of music, set the air conditioning to 72 degrees and allow him a good night’s sleep in the safety of the wolf lab before he begins another day of playing in the wolf yard. Oscar’s photo is posted on Malik’s site, the arctics were too hot to come out of the shade for a photo this week, so we used a winter photo of Shadow, reminding us of cooler weather and Oscar did a stand in for Malik.
While we don't have video as proof, we do have an observation of Shadow using his underground den. If you recall. last fall he began digging a den next to the pond and he hit some large tree roots. We removed some of those roots, winter arrived and we never gave the den another thought. During the recent heat spell, Shadow must have been motivated to get cool and worked around the obstacles to make this den fit an adult wolf. His choice to go underground was a good one, he has very few fly bites compared to Malik.
Shadow is really showing his age in this heat. Of all the wolves here, he has the hardest time with hot, humid weather. While I have yet to catch a photo or video of him, we have observed him using an underground den hole adjacent to the pond. We spray water on the front of the enclosure and the den regularly on these hot days as well as run a sprinkler hose, but I don't think he'll feel better until the cool fall weather returns.
Shadow really enjoys the sprinkler hose. He tries to bite the water at the base of the hose, allows staff to mist his entire body, then he races back to the wooded part of the enclosure and rolls in dirt. This goes on several times a day. The weather calls for a cool down and rain this weekend, just what Shadow needs after a week of 80's and sunny. We were able to weigh Shadow last weekend and he weighed in at 93.5 lbs.
The summer is nearing an end, and the cooler weather is a welcome relief for wolves. The logs are all the same today, As I write there is an approaching thunderstorm and I don't have much time. Aidan continues to show relaxed behavior coming in and out of the medical pen. Denali's increased interest in Oscar makes Oscar a bit nervous, but they are getting along well. Grizzer is very relaxed, and when Oscar returns from field trips, he play bows and rolls over at the fence line. Shadow is showing more dominance which is typical of this time of year. Malik is a bit nervous of the change in Shadow, but does respond with the appropriate body postures.
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.