Posts

An Unexpected Encounter

/6 Comments/in /by

Surprise!

Photo of otters found on Pixabay.

Photo of otters found on Pixabay.

As if I didn’t think that Wolf Haven isn’t already the most amazing place, here is further affirmation: This morning at about 7:30, I was getting ready to head into the sanctuary and heard my dogs barking their heads off. My lab Harley is a “recreational” barker, so I tend not to pay too much attention, but my border/aussie is the best alarm system we could ask for.

Both were keenly focused in the direction of the service road that runs from the office and residential buildings out to the prairie. As I looked in that general direction, movement caught my eye and I saw a brown/black “slinky” looking animal. Too big to be a cat and the movement was all wrong but other than stray cats, coyotes and rabbits, there aren’t a lot of terrestrial animals that size that call Wolf Haven home. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be an otter!

Just a few feet ahead of him or her were 3 or 4 more and then a few feet ahead of them, were another group of 4-5… all just booking it down the road!!! ten otters! We are fortunate to have a very healthy wetland on the west side of property and the pond has water year round, so we think that’s where they were heading and they seemed to know where they were going so perhaps it wasn’t their first walk-about at Wolf Haven.  From a distance, Patt, Diane and I watched as they slinked away, chatting to one another the whole way. What an unbelievable way to start the day!

Wendy Spencer, Director of Animal Care

Wolf Haven International

Bart gets a companion!

/4 Comments/in /by

If you follow us regularly then you know that Bart, one of our male wolves, has been very lonely since the passing of his sister Jinkies last month.  For weeks after her passing we listened to his solo, mournful howls and our hearts ached for him but we knew that finding a new companion for him as quickly as possible would help with the healing process.

We had worked with Lockwood Animal Rescue (LARC) in the past when we rescued Bono, Eve and Klondike and we knew they were still looking to place animals so we contacted them shortly after Jinkies’ passing to see if they had a female that needed placing. Fortunately for all involved, 10 year old Samantha fit the bill perfectly. Samantha, like the other 3 rescues that LARC had helped facilitate, had originally come from the now-defunct Alaska road side attraction, Wolf Country USA . And just like Eve, Bono and Klondike, she too had spent most of her life staked out on an 8 foot drag chain so that visitists could pay $5 dollars to see wolves and wolfdogs up close.

After being rescued by LARC, Samantha (who is actually the younger sister of Eve) spent the next year and a half at their facility in southern California. And though she could have stayed, the owners of LARC felt as though she might do better in a sanctuary setting.

As it turned out, the male that Samantha was housed with at the time was moving to W.O.L.F,  a wolfdog sanctuary in La Porte, Colorado, so it made sense to do both transfers at the same time. We selected a location that was convenient for all 3 facilities (Provo, UT) as well as a date (September 4th).

Diane and I set out on Tuesday evening at 7pm, in the hopes that we would arrive in Provo the following afternoon in time to get a few hours of sleep before meeting up with the folks from LARC and WOLF, picking up Sam and then getting back on the road.

Sixteen hours and many cups of coffee later we arrived in at our designated meeting spot- the Days Inn parking lot and waited for the LARC volunteers (and Sam) to arrive. We had a few hours to kill, so we had an early dinner with the WOLF folks and then tried to get some sleep in our cargo van. Leave it to me to pick the one spot in all of Provo that had a disgruntled feral peacock who wanted the entire  neighborhood to know the extent of his ire. And just about the time the peacock let up, a landscape crew showed up with lawnmowers, weed whackers and even a chain saw! No sleep for us L

Stanley and Greg (volunteers from LARC) arrived around 8 pm and we quickly and quietly transferred Samantha into our waiting van. It was dark by that time so we were not able to get a good look at her other than to see the yellow of her eyes reflected in the parking lot lights. Unlike some of the wolves that we rescue who hunker nervously in the back of their crate, Samantha was up at the front, ears pricked forward, taking in the sights and sounds of her surroundings as we headed for home.

Samantha (Sam) today

Samantha (Sam) today

Every once in awhile I would catch a glimpse of her beautiful face as we would pass under a street light but it wasn’t until the following morning that we got our first good look at her. She was perfect. Now 10, her black has phased to that silvery-blue that is so typical of wolves but like her sister, Eve, she has a dark strip that runs down her nose. Curled in the crate, it was hard to tell how big she was, but we got the sense that she was fairly slight but with the characteristically long, thin legs and giant feet.

She was the perfect passenger and though she would lay her head down occasionally, she would not allow herself to fall into a deep sleep- for even though outwardly she seemed calm and relaxed, this was undoubtedly scary for her so she remained vigilant.

Samantha & Bart together

Samantha & Bart together

We drove straight through and arrived at Wolf Haven the following afternoon at 1. We drove directly to Bart’s enclosure and let her into the sub-enclosure (deckpen). A chain link guillotine gate separates the two but they are still able to see and sniff and even touch noses, if they so choose but it is also serves as a safety barrier in the event that the two do not get along.

 

Summer Days at Wolf Haven

/in /by

Sanctuary Update – Brennan Stoelb, animal care specialist

Blooming flowers and budding trees have given way to the smell of fresh cut grass and finding a shady spot to read a book. Summer is here!

Clarice

Clarice

Our oldest gal Clarice is doing well. She is currently taking two medications for some incontinence issues, which isn’t uncommon given her age. One of the medications, DES, has a very high success rate. While it hasn’t completely relieved her symptoms, there has been measured improvement while on DES. For a couple of months, she was on a roasted chicken kick as an extra morning snack. Then she decided roast was a better breakfast. After a few weeks, she went back to chicken. Recently, she has gone back to preferring beef roast.  How long roast will be the preferred meat is anyone’s guess, but we are more than happy to accommodate Clarice!  She is 18 after all.

In the spring issue, I mentioned the challenges we were having pilling our older female Kiawatha. We are pleased to report that she also loves raw beef roast.  She likes it so much that most mornings she eagerly runs to the fence for her roast!

Anna & Guy

Anna & Guy

Between mowing the grass and weed-whacking, we have made some changes to the sanctuary. Guy and Anna, who were in the enclosure behind Juno and Shadow, have a new home in the back of the sanctuary with lots of seclusion! Not only does this allow Guy and Anna, who are a bit on the shy side, more privacy, but it also allows Juno and Shadow access to a second enclosure. Sometimes Shadow gets a little wary of certain types of cameras and this new arrangement allows him a buffer zone. Both pairs appear very happy with the new set-up!

Everyone was hopeful this year as we observed, via remote camera, three of the four Species Survival Plan (SSP) pairs that were recommended for breeding, actually engaged in breeding behavior. Unfortunately, due dates came and went without pups.

Tamaska & Jacob

Tamaska & Jacob

Tamaska, one of our female red wolves, looked pregnant and even spent hours in her den. Spirits were high among staff members. We were slightly concerned when Tamaska’s mate Jacob was seen entering the den, which typically the female would not allow. To get a better view of the goings-on, we borrowed a “snake” camera from a local plumber, Advanced Plumbing Technologies, and had a peek in her den. Unfortunately, only rocks were found. It remains uncertain if she was going through false pregnancy, if she miscarried, or if the pups were stillborn.

Pups or no pups, come on out for a visit and take a visit of the sanctuary. While you’re here, lose yourself meandering through our gorgeous mounded prairie.

Big day in the sanctuary

/in /by
Guy and Anna

Guy and Anna

Big day in the sanctuary for some of our residents–

Guy and Anna were moved to a large off-visit enclosure up on the hill away from the public visit route. If they choose, they can still catch a glimpse of visitors as they make their way along the public visit route, but given that both Guy and Anna are very shy, no doubt they will enjoy the increased privacy. Moving them meant that their original enclosure would now be vacant, and since that enclosure has an above ground tunnel that connects to Juno and Shadow’s enclosure, we were able to open the gates to the tunnel so Juno and Shadow could have an extra enclosure to romp in. Both pairs were so excited with their new digs- all kinds of new things to investigate and mark and roll on! Lots of excited whining, smelling and big, toothy smiles as well. I’d say they are pretty pleased with the new real estate!

Juno cautiously sniffs her new digs.

Juno cautiously sniffs her new digs.

Greenwood Elementary School

Happy Birthday Shadow! From Mrs. Schumacher’s class

/in /by
Greenwood Elementary School

Happy Birthday Shadow! From Mrs. Schumacher's class

Mrs. Schumacher’s kindergarten class at Greenwood Elementary in Seattle, WA, presented us with a booklet of 24 different hand-drawn pictures & personal greetings to 3-year old wolf Shadow. It’s a treasure (just like Shadow!)

Shadow in the snow.

Shadow in the snow.

Happy Birthday to Shadow!

/in /by
Uma P. with her drawing of Shadow.

Uma P. with her drawing of Shadow.

This lovely drawing of Shadow and Juno in their sanctuary enclosure was drawn by a young lady named Uma P., in honor of Shadow’s 3rd birthday. Uma & her mom visited Wolf Haven International to see the young wolf that she adopted at Christmas time.

See Sweetgrass documentary – sheepherding in American West

/in /by
Join Wolf Haven International for a special screening of Sweetgrass at Evergreen State College followed by a discussion on wolf recovery and agriculture in the Pacific Northwest and abroad. This breath-taking documentary follows the last of the American west cowboys as they lead herds of sheep into the mountains of Montana. The discussion following the film will be led by the Evergreen Conservation Club and the Evergreen Animal Agriculture Club.
Wolf Haven International Screening & Discussion of Sweetgrass
Evergreen State College
Free Showing
April 12, 2013 at 4:30pm
2700 Evergreen Parkway NW
Olympia, WA 98505
This event is a collaboration with the award-winning documentary series POV.
 
“With eloquence and splendor, “Sweetgrass” is a singular record of all there is to love and hate.”

Slate review of the movie Sweetgrass.

brotherly love

/1 Comment/in /by
Siblings Myta and Chai

Siblings Myta and Chai

Chai, one of our female San Bernardino wolves, was transported to the vet on Tuesday for surgery. Chai, who will be 10 this month, has remained intact since her arrival in 2000. She is housed with her brother, Myta Jr., who is altered, so there was no risk of pups. However, the last couple of years, she has been having very severe false pregnancies, with symptoms persisting into August. We decided to do a complete spay so that she would not have to endure another season.

While Chai was at the vet, Myta received a portion of his regular meal, since Tuesday is a normal feeding day for the wolves. When Chai returned, she was not ready to go out so she spent some time recovering in her crate until she had burned through the anesthetic drugs.

By around six that evening she was ready to go; we transported her into her enclosure and opened the gate of the crate and backed off, allowing her to come out on her own time.

Myta Jr. just watched her from a distance, slowly walking back and forth, whining. As soon as Chai exited her crate, he took off running. We thought maybe he was going to run over and greet her but instead he ran to his meat pile. “oh… how sweet,” we thought. “he’s going to offer her a piece of his meat.” but instead he proceeded to scarf it down as fast as he could.

Read more

Posturing

/in /by
Mexican wolf brothers M1066 (left) and M1135 (right)

Mexican wolf brothers M1066 (left) and M1135 (right)

Today while doing the walk through I observed some posturing between our 3 sibling male Mexican gray wolves. The brothers, who are housed together, were born here at Wolf Haven (2 were born in 2007 and the other in 2008) . While the boys lived with their parents and female siblings for several years, they have been living alone as bachelors since 2010.

Fortunately they had the benefit of being parent reared and as such, learned appropriate behavior. We would often observe (via remote camera) the parents chastising the pups when they got out of line and because they were a multigenerational group, they had lots of siblings (8) to not only play with, but to practice ritualized fighting with as well, subsequently developing good social skills.

Even though the parents are the ones in charge, there is a linear hierarchy that exists within the group that is not only age graded, but sex graded as well- meaning that the males and females work out their own chain of command and rarely do dominance disputes cross gender lines. Very early on the 3 boys established a hierarchy among themselves and it has remained pretty stable up until recently. Even when they moved into their own enclosure, away from their sire, the male who had been in charge (M1066) retained the dominant role. However, the youngest of the 3, M1135 has started to test the waters this season and it appears that there may be a shift in dynamics.  This is not uncommon, particularly in a disrupted pack. For although the alpha pair’s (or parents’) leadership will stay stable, the rest of the group’s dynamics are in flux. Things like dispersal, injury, or attrition can lead to an opportunity for a lower ranking animal to move up in status. In the case of captive wolves, something as seemingly benign as a move from one enclosure to another can prompt a shift.

So far, our 3 bachelors have lived a pretty peaceful coexistence. During breeding season we saw them periodically get a little testy with one another but usually it presented in raised tails and/or hackles. There were never any actual physical confrontations (that we observed). Same sex groupings, particularly males, seem to get along pretty well together – of course, all bets would be off if we were to introduce a female into the fray- and our boys are no exception.

Breeding season has come and gone, so naturally we would expect to see less posturing. However, today as I rounded the corner to their enclosure, I observed M1135 facing off with M1066-his tail and hackles were raised, his face was set in an agonistic pucker as he emitted a low growl. M1066 had his head turned away in avoidance, which is a submissive behavior, but  the rest of his body language sent a different message. His tail and hackles were also raised and his body was rigid, indicating that he wasn’t quite ready to submit. However, his brother body slammed him and M1066 tucked his tail and turned away, redirecting towards the other brother, M1067, who is the lowest ranking of the 3.

There is never a dull moment when you work with animals (especially wolves) and it will be interesting to see how this all plays out. Stay tuned….

bucket and tub day

/1 Comment/in /by
Wendy looks at Bart and Jinkies with their splash tub.

Wendy looks on as Jinkies plays in her splash tub.

Yesterday was bucket and tub day. While the wolves’ water buckets are emptied and refilled with clean water at least daily, on an as-needed basis (usually once a week) we pull every water bucket and 50 gallon splash tub out of each enclosure and giving them a thorough cleaning before replacing and refilling. Because we operate on a well and water pressure is already pretty low, it doesn’t help the process when you are trying to fill tubs and as fast as you fill, the wolves are standing in them splashing the water out. It took 4 attempts to get Jinkies’ tub filled because as soon as I would get any measurable amount of water in her tub, she would jump in and splash it all back out. At one point she even laid down in the tub while I was filling it. I think she takes a certain delight in vexing me but she was having fun so I would have stayed all day if necessary 🙂  Wendy