Shadow has had a lot of lone howls that seem to be directed at things beyond our fences. It is interesting to watch the response from the other wolves, they look, listen but don't respond, versus when we come in for wolf care and Shadow starts everyone howling, including Oscar (well bark squealing).
Shadow had a good treatment of fly ointment this week. When he was down in the underground den, I waited at the top of the den and was able to apply a good coat of ointment to both ears. The cedar oil continues to work well within the den, and we expect the fly season to diminish as the cooler fall weather arrives.
Shadow is very conscientious about activity around the enclosure and some fresh scents from the air created some lone howling in response to those scents. It is a different tone than rally howls when staff arrive or more defensive howls when the Exhibit Pack is wrestling. The interesting thing is that the other wolves show no inclination towards responding. They listen, and look, but are quiet. Even after 25 years of wolf care, I am still amazed at the depth of their communication.
We have some great observations of Shadow and Malik feeding together, something that isn't always the case in retirement. Shadow is very stimulated by the smell of wolf care staff and has shown some increased tolerance to staff that would normally see the more dominant side of Shadow's personality.
It has been an interesting winter for wolf observations, seeing Shadow start the winter with some intimidation and loss of confidence to the recent observations, not only showing him dominant, but comfortable in his dominance that he interacts socially, playbowing to Grizzer. With the warm weather this weekend, it’s hard not to think about spring. We have been planning for pups since November of 2006, with management plans, vet plans, site selection process and staffing changes. Now, it’s hard to believe pups are only months away. We are very excited and we know that Shadow and Maya will be great wolf parents. We appreciate everyone’s willingness to work with us, even though we’ve instituted some new stricter policies on the Nanny program. Every decision we make, we make with the wolves as the first priority. They don’t have a voice (although they do have a good howl as Malik demonstrates in this week’s video)… The Wolf Care Staff have to be their voice. As a reminder, Nanny and Behavioral Observation applications are still being accepted until February 1st. We are willing to accept the application as an email attachment.
Shadow did some bark howling for a special group from the Minnesota Zoo on Saturday. This was one of the only Behind the Scenes groups allowed this winter, and certainly reinforces our decision to restrict these during the winter months. The Minnesota Zoo program is a very special relationship for us, as another professional organization, we encourage exchange of ideas and programs. My thanks to those participants that participated in this program and their understanding as to why people needed to be moved back inside the building as Shadow began bark howling. The bark howling behavior is a way of warning strangers (wolves in the wild, humans in captivity).. to stay out of his territory. It is a great behavior for a dominant wolf to protect his pack.
The following text was written by Workin' for Wolves participants: Wendy Watson and Michele Amacker. One way wolves show dominance is through subtle communication as shown with this photo of Shadow with a stand over of Grizzer. A film crew was on site this morning filming the ambassador pack. Having strangers at the fence is a stressful experience for Shadow. Grizzer is attentive to Shadow’s responses to stimuli, ready to take advantage of any opportunity to assert dominance. While the film crew was still on site, Shadow reminded Grizzer of his position in the hierarchy by standing over him. This is a good sign with regard to Shadow maintaining his dominant status, particularly with the upcoming arrival of wolf pups.
The bond between the littermates is strong. We see it with Grizzer and Maya, and we see it with Shadow and Malik. One behavior that we ask of observers is related to the position of how the wolves are sleeping. Where a wolf chooses to sleep and proximity to another wolf can tell us a great deal about social cohesiveness. Shadow tends to sleep on top of the den, although Grizzer and Maya do get their fair share of time on this prime spot. Malik will often be found lying near Shadow, but all of the pack seems to be found sleeping near Shadow at varying times of the day. We do note that if there’s a howling in the pack, Shadow is most often at the highest vantage point during the howl, whether that is on one of the rocks or on the den site. This week’s video for Shadow demonstrates this behavior.
Shadow’s confidence as the dominant male in this pack cannot be understated. Shadow is a wolf who clearly demonstrates why he is the leader of this pack. His protectiveness and pack mentality make him a natural leader. It is only a dominant animal who is comfortable and confident in his status who can roll over in the snow in a submissive posture to the pups and invite them to chase him through a series of playbows. Wolf care staff have seen the playful side of Shadow, however, we have also observed that he is quick to discipline the pups when needed. Aidan and Denali both seek out Shadow’s attention and acceptance, reinforcing his status as the dominant male.
Shadow has surprised us all with his tolerance of the construction on Grizzer's habitat. Of all the wolves here to display territorial behavior, Shadow is usually the one to bark howl and posture towards strange people. In the last few days, Shadow has just lounged on the den as the crew comes by with pipes, ladders, generators, motorized post hole diggers and a work crew of 4. When it gets hot, he just moves to the elderberry shrubs and finds a comfortable place to continue his rest. We are very pleased about that, at the age of 11, they don't need more things interrupting their well-deserved rest.
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