Spring - Wolf Park

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4 % & ! " Spring came again, and with it promises of new dens and invisible puppies. This spring Devon and Ember created a new earthworks on the site of last year’s new den — right under the 200-pound slate slabs put in place to prevent such an occurrence. They nestled in among the rocks underneath the slabs and looked smug. Andrew came along, lifted the slabs, put down a layer of hardware cloth, and replaced the dirt and the slabs. The foxes returned and dug futilely under the now-reinforced slabs. We humans said “Neener neener”. “Phantom puppies” sometimes occur in female animals who do not have puppies yet are being signaled, by photoperiod, temperature, and other stimuli, that they should have puppies. Devon and Ember had phantom puppies last year and are repeating that experience this year, with Ember trying to carry Devon around by the scruff of the neck, and poor Corey walking around trying to figure out which vixen to provision. Corey began shedding early this year, his winter coat falling out in huge fuzzy clumps. He was very naked by the time Basil started losing the occasional bit of soft white fluff. As of this writing, neither of the girls has begun to shed. They are hanging out in the shade, waiting for their coats to get thin so they will be cool again. Since the back den has flooded, Ember is hiding out in the Fox Fallout Shelter, occasionally emerging to beg food from Corey and try to mother Devon, who tries to mother Ember in return. Devon’s Weird Leg Owies (which appear to be hot spots of some sort) have returned this year in the form of one Leg Owie which was quickly squelched by the prompt action of Andrew, who administered bubble-gum flavored Clavomox (in peanut butter!) as well as a steroid shot. (Devon was the only fox who did not like the bubble gum taste. Ember, Basil and even Corey nearly attacked Andrew trying to get some of the tasty “treat”.) Basil was very interested in the installation of the bridge, which went on right next to the fox enclosure. Baz is proud to be the first fox — or any other Park animal — to have crossed the bridge (on leash and under supervision). He hopped onto it and crossed fearlessly, dragging his handler behind him. Devon also went on a walk this spring, her first in several months. She ran around loudly professing that she’d rather be back in the enclosure, so vigorously that we took her home. (Fox walks are supposed to be treats for foxes, not punishments.) We are working on ways to make walks more pleasant for her, so that she can enjoy Ember (left) and Devon argue over possession of a bunny. Photo by Monty Sloan going out and being allowed to explore. With apologies to Michael Strong, and his poem about Hiawatha’s Mittens, we present a short excerpt from The Feeding of Marion: ( She, to get at the meat side, inside, had to turn the skin side outside, Had to turn the fur side inside, Peeling the hide back from the outside, Till the outside all was inside In a sort of furry tube. Pat’s Poetry Corner is neither permanent nor light-fast and will not mark on concrete, foam or organic matter. It has no known effect on hedgehogs. Please contact your local Poetry Control Center if Pat’s Poetry Corner begins to steam, smoke or emit hallucinogens. Wolf Park News Summer 2002 ' ! " DENEB still has a little fat around her ribs — yay, Deneb! Our little “aerobics instructor” has started keeping on a little weight, which is good for the oldest wolf at the Park. (Don’t tell her, though — she feels she must maintain her girlish figure and will continue her weight-loss-through-fence-fighting program with more vigor.) Deneb has started asking for tummy-rubs during cleanup, and enjoys having staff member Gale Motter “somersault” her head over heels before administering a (purely medicinal!) all-over body rub. URSA and Andrew continue to make friends via the bliss-inducing influence of Andrew’s fingers, which we may have to bottle and sell. She, too, enters spring in good weight and health. She has manifested one unusual phenomenon, though — her howl seems to have gone on vacation. During Park-wide chorus howls she gamely tilts her head back and opens her mouth, emitting a soft breathy noise with no tone. (It’s not a health problem...many old dogs “lose their voice” with age too.) Fortunately we love her anyway. On Members’ Weekend we moved ORCA to a larger enclosure to see how he’d do. He was across the corridor from Chance and Jacona, O. J. Volkman’s arctic wolves, who were making a guest appearance. After a day, Orca clearly wanted out of his enclosure so Monty shifted him to a holding pen. Next morning Orca had let himself out of the holding pen and had had a “hose party.” Pieces of hose, converted into short “party favors”, lay strewn about. (At some point in the glees and frivolities a segment must have been moved within reach of Apollo, Karin and Alyeska. We found it in their enclosure where they had converted it to many “favors.”) Orca was returned without incident, and gates were reinforced. The Pillow Pack continues to be a model of peace, tranquility, and splash-tanktipping. ALYESKA has decided to surprise us all and not only approach, but actually schmooze with, several of his own sponsors during and around Members’ Weekend. APOLLO was locked up for that, due to his propensity for patting people very hard on the head and growling at them. He and KARIN form quite the happy couple, with lots of parallel-walking and wagging, and lots of amicable grumbly noises and squeaks. Both have been quite tolerant of Al. KIRI and SOCRATES enjoyed watching the bridge being put in place. Even the bison came and watched. Both brothers seem so fascinated by large machinery that we have joked for years that they would like to learn to drive and then “borrow” our neighbor’s backhoe for cross country exploration. In addition to machinery, they enjoyed watching the bison. When one of the cement trucks got mired and spun its wheels in attempts at extrication, Pseudospike the bison (who has spikes (horns) but is not the original Spike) started shaking his head and threatening the equipment. Possibly the mud thrown by the spinning tires was enough like the dirt tossed by bison bulls as part of their threat displays to make our top bull think he was being challenged. CHANI and SIERRA test the waters each cleanup day by wandering a little closer to the intruding humans, but for now are content to schmooze mostly with familiar staff members. They gracefully turned 13 this spring. They have gotten out on several walks and continue to behave adorably, resembling elderly, giggly aunties, having a great time “out on the town”. They remain each other’s oldest and dearest friends, and continue to find time to flirt with neighbors Kiri and Socrates (who would be much too rough on the little girlies for us to ever consider putting them together). WILD BILL has continued to look lithe and handsome and not at all like an end table. We hope to keep his weight low to keep stress off his aging joints. (Bill is the oldest canine at the Park now at fifteen years of age.) He joins in like a trouper on Howl Nights and is still most willing to “run his siren” and let others know he is still top ‘yote. He remains genial with visitors but is still a curious and investigative ‘yote. He has expressed occasional interest in “collectibles”, such as shoestrings and dangly bits of clothing. (And, like all our animals, he still wants to own his very own 35 mm camera.) Kiri glances over his shoulder. Photo by Monty Sloan
1 0 Every year, some extremely nice people descend on Wolf Park, offering that most valuable of resources — their time. Volunteers visit for as little as a few hours a week to every day; practicums spend a month; and interns, the Park’s most important resource, generously donate three months of their time. In return, the Park provides them all with an unparalleled opportunity for both research and fun, as they interact with the Park wolves, give tours, do landscaping and repair, exhaust the Park library and talk with the staff. , . 0 . " 1 0 Eric Berthoud, a practicum from Switzerland, is attending College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine, majoring in Human Ecology, and has volunteered at various wildlife parks. His sister, Daisy Berthoud, was a practicum at Wolf Park nine years ago. Marc Folker, an intern from Illinois, spent two weeks at Busch Gardens career camp in ‘99 and is at Wolf Park further exploring career options working with animals. He enjoys music, and owns two rats and two dogs. Marc holds the Wolf Park Interns Dan Spight and Photo by Monty Sloan deer-dismembering record time at six Kfir Mendel dig post holes. minutes, 34 seconds (as of this writing). Megan Frazer, intern, is in the pre-vet program at Clemson University in South Carolina. She has four dogs and three cats at home; a horse and fish are with her at school in SC. She enjoys the performing arts and is also part of Clemson University’s Rugby Little Sisters Club. Cynthia Little, intern, is in the pre-vet program at the University of Vermont. She owns a dog and a gecko, and enjoys playing the guitar (or trying to!). She is active in environmental politics and animal rights, and has lost count of the number of letter’s she’s sent to politicians stating her views. Celina McFadden, intern, is currently attending Paul Smith’s College in New York, majoring in Fish & Wildlife. She grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania and has been owned by many pets, including horses, dogs, cats, a ferret, a black snake, guinea pigs, and many rabbits. She enjoys photography, canoeing, camping and horseback riding. Joe Seibert, practicum at large, made another appearance in April and, as always, left the Park a better place, helping (among other things) with our 30th Anniversary celebration and taking many hours of video. Robyn Shope, another Illinois intern, is attending Monmouth College and majoring in Biology. She volunteers at the Glen Oak Zoo, where she has cleaned exhibits, prepared diets, and organized the sea lion show. She has worked with camels, llamas, sea lions, and zebras, so the staff at Wolf Park should not seem too unusual. Practicum Joe Seibert with Chetan. Photo by Jessica Willard Kaye Wise, from Kansas, did a practicum at Wolf Park as a birthday present to herself. She has been on the Speaker’s Bureau at the International Wolf Center for the past several years and also volunteers at a nature center in Kansas City, Missouri, where she handles opossums and snakes. - . - + / 0 )*+, ) The persons named below have been kind enough to donate something to WOLF PARK — be it time, computer parts, wolf treats, or, yes, money. We thank them for their efforts and appreciate all that they have given us. Nutramax Marge & Tom Boccio Brett Bogan Cindy Broenner Sharon Butt Malinda Carlson Lisa Cavanaugh Dr. Sam Conway Catherine Cross Jack Cross Susie Davis Barbara Degroodt Vesta Demester Harriet Doolittle Julie Dyar Barbara Fisher Ed Franklin Susan Freel Anita Freeman Mike & Elaine Gawlik Christina Gillespie Don Gomes Ronald Hallam Melinda Hewlett Judith Hybl Trish Jenkins Chris Johnson Pliny & Joan Keep Carrie Kelley George & Lesya Kercheval Tristan, aeronautically attired in goggles. Brooms, rakes (metal or plastic) 55 gal heavy duty garbage bags Copier paper Glass cleaner, toilet paper, paper towels, dish soap Photo by Monty Sloan Michael Kreiman Roger & Kerri Mahrling Ken McCort Nadia Mead L David Mech Doris Mettier James Misenheimer Jo Ann Mullen Robert Murphy George Nemeyer Matt Palguta Cliffe Pickering Richard & Wendy Pini Nick Prentoff Amanda Russell Carol Sabo Madeleine Savary Diane & Bill Schorr Joe Seibert Alexandra Sheldon Joan Silaco Teri Sloss Doug Smith Tipmont REMC Jim Turgeon Peggy Weinberg David Wilson Gladys Wright Glenn Zabec THANK YOU to all those wonderful people who contributed art and/or collectibles to this year’s auction! We deeply appreciate your support. Thanks also to Dr. Sam Conway, who donated his services as a highly entertaining auctioneer again this year, and even auctioned off his own tie! Thanks to Michael’s Crafts, who donated free scrap foam core board for Gale Motter’s endless educational projects. Thanks also to Paul Hebert — his web site, www.bayareadog.com, allows people placing orders to donate 10% of their purchase to Wolf Park! Tristan is seen above modeling some fashionable “Doggles” dog goggles, available from Bay Area Dog. If you have some old equipment you aren’t using, consider donating it to a good cause! Any item you can donate will be greatly appreciated. For more information, please contact us at (765) - 567 - 2265. Stamps — 34 cents and 21 cents Please DO NOT SEND WOLF TREATS right now! … Our wolves are becoming very round through your generosity! :) Wolf Park News Summer 2002 5
Page 1 and 2: On April 19-21, Wolf Park celebrate
Page 3: $ # Wolf Park celebrated its 30th a
Page 7 and 8: Pat, Andrew, Gale and Jessica pract

Spring - Wolf Park

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