Young love

Diary entry, 06.11.2011, guest

Pictures of the day (2 images)   

During the last few weeks it was very difficult to keep up with which wolf was in which enclosure. Our american pack had in fact some disputes. In nature, the pack would normally be divided in those situations; in a fenced enclosure, as we have it, it was time for us to intervene. Thus, we separated the pack consisting of Geronimo (m), Tatonga (f), Yukon (f) and the alpha animal Nanuk (m). While Nanuk and Yukon remained in their former territory, Geronimo and Tatonga were brought into an empty enclosure. But since we do not want to keep our animals just in pairs, we tried to slowly integrate our two youngest wolves, Wapi and Kenai, with Nanuk and Yukon.
Therefore, Nanuk and Yukon were separated for a few days and put in two neighbouring enclosures. To get individually used to the "new" pack members, Kenai first was Nanuks “roommate” and Wapi went with Yukon into the enclosure. This was done without any problems, because the older ones demonstrated their dominance from the beginning, so they got exchanged (Nanuk + Wapi, Yukon + Kenai). Yukon and Wapi liked each other from the beginning.
Now the exciting moment came; how would the wolves react, if they all came together in one enclosure?
So Nanuk and Yukon were brought in their enclosure and first we introduced Wapi. Nanuk left no doubt that he is the Alpha, so Wapi submitted. After the situation had calmed down, it was Kenais turn. He also submitted. Wapi remembered his love for Yukon, but Nanuk didn’t like that, because Yukon belonged to his pack and because of that she was his girl. Even though Yukon likes the attention of the young Wapi, she was bright enough to stay with Nanuk.
Despite, or even because of the fact that Wapi and Kenai submitted and behaved very cautiously, the pack formation was successful after all.
And sometimes, but only if Nanuk is not close, Yukon and Wapi exchange some endearments.