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Tests, training and a visit
Diary entry, 28.02.2010, Sebastian Vetter
Yesterday our wolves had quite a lot of entertainment again.
Before midday Bea started training them two new behaviours, which are needed for some studies. The first one is to let the trainers take saliva samples of them. This is also quite useful in general, but at the moment it is especially needed in Angelica's study. She will investigate how several activities, like training, tests, walks, etc. influence the hormonal level of the wolves. So we will get more information on how our woves are doing. Just as prolonged stress is not good for animals and humans, lack of excitement and new experiences is not good for them either. Until now we think that our animals are doing quite well, also because of the low level of aggression in the pack, but after this study we will know it for sure.
The second behaviour is important for Marianne's project.She wants to investigate if a wolf is doing something he has learned not to do when he is sure that the trainer will not see it.Or in other words if the wolf knows what other individuals see or know. Therefore in the first place they have to learn that they are not allowed to take a piece of food that is lying in a certain location.
In the afternoon Apache's godmother was visiting aigain. We put all of them – except Shima – in the testing enclosure. Of course they all had to investigate the new wooden pannels, which Kurt and I put in the enclosure on the last saturday in order to build them some new shelters. They were jumping on these pannels and running underneath them like crazy and they had a lot of fun doing so.
Today there was a lot of testing on the schedule. Friederike and Zsófi arrived in the morning and did a lot of tests with the wolves as well as with our dog pups.
