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LEARN
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Wolf Media
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Ambassador Wolves
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February - 2013 |
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Aidan and Denali were born on April 27, 2008 and joined the Exhibit Pack on August 4th, 2008. The 2008 pup introduction was very unique for the Center as it was the first time that our Exhibit pack contained three subspecies of the gray wolf and three age groups-the arctic wolves (Canis lupus arctos) born in 2000, Great Plains wolves (Canis lupus nubilus) born in 2004 and Rocky Mountain wolves (Canis lupus occidentalis) born in 2008. Denali was fairly immune to dominance rank order. He was more prone to social engagement and avoided interactions that related to dominance. He was encouraged to be more dominant by the 2nd ranking male, Grizzer, who allowed Denali to readily take food or possessions without any sign of threat display. By the time Denali turned two years of age, he was always very social, but also very testing. Growing up without limits to his behavior resulted in his continual testing. Denali is the reason Grizzer transitioned into retirement. After Maya's death, there was no leadership in the pack, and Grizzer didn't show signs of rising to a leadership role. Since the introduction of the 2012 pups, Luna and Boltz, Denali continues to be food possessive and socially engaging with the pups, but doesn't show them much dominance. This is certainly a repeat behavior from how Grizzer treated Denali in 2008.
Each wolf in the Exhibit and Retired Pack will have weekly updates posted to reveal their individual personalities and the dynamics of their respective packs, please check the individual logs for details.
For more information on our ambassador wolves, watch extended wolf videos on the International Wolf Center's YouTube Channel or enjoy a close-up of wolf behavior on our Wolf Watch Cams.
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2/8/2013
Lori Schmidt - Someone recently asked me if I had a favorite wolf. Certainly some people may think it's hard not to think of some individuals with a greater concern because of their individual needs, but the reality is, every wolf is different and they all have some unique characteristic to make them special. So, I thought I would dedicate this week's wolf logs to those unique characteristics. Denali seems to be a juvenile in an adults body. He has very little aggression with the exception of food. Some people may question that statement considering what Grizzer went through with Denali, but Grizzer initiated the issues with Denali. Most of the encounters between Grizzer and Denali were Denali defending himself, often with tucked tail as he ran from Grizzer. The problem Grizzer had was that Denali was nearly a foot taller than Grizzer, leaving the top of his head as the main contact with Denali. Denali does not like conflict and is often observed rolling around with the pups (of course Grizzer did the same thing for Denali.)
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| Denali likes to avoid conflict |
| Photo: Center Staff |
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2/1/2013
Lori Schmidt - Denali is starting to act more like a pup than an adult. If we turn back the clock to the winter of 2008-2009, Grizzer did the same thing for Denali. The problem was, when Denali reached adulthood, there appeared to be very little respect for Grizzer, which is why Grizzer is not a member of the Exhibit Pack anymore. Boltz may have the same response for Denali in the future.
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| Denali is acting more like an overgrown pup |
| Photo: Center Staff |
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