by Kristin Hessick

 

7/14/99

18:45

Observation:  The wolves are seen at the Pine Ridge on the east side of the enclosure.  Erin’s ears are pricked with her tail at T2.  Karin’s ears are back, tail at T4, and she is crouched with a submissive grin.  Erin then displays T formation behavior, with Erin as the cross of the T.  Karin slinks away, walking between a standing Miska and Seneca.  Erin “flushes” her out several times and Karin keeps going back between the two males.

 

Interpretationn:  Karin looks very much like Marion has for the last month because of her posture.  She has a curled back, her ears are laid back, her tail is down, and she moves with less certainty.  Karin is afraid of Erin and is trying to appease her.  Erin is not relenting so Karin tries to use Miska and Seneca to aid her.  When she stood between them Karin was trying to use the males to distract or intimidate Erin from harassing her.  Perhaps she hoped they would defend her.

 

19:00

Observation:  Erin, Tristan, and Maya are all out of site in Pond East.  Splashing sounds can be heard.  Erin runs out alone towards Down Slope B, passing by Karin without event and disappears from sight.  Karin stands watching her.  After Erin is gone, Karin walks south along the brush line by the lake on Down Slope A.  She pauses again with her head turned towards Tristan and Maya.

 

Interpretationn:  Tristan and Maya were playing with each other and then run off for unknown reason.  Karin follows them, curious, but she seems cautious.  Eventually, she decides it is safe and continues.  She might be afraid of Erin.

 

19:03

Observation:  Tristan and Maya are heard splashing around still out of sight. They then come galloping out of the water on the southwest side of the enclosure.  Maya parallel-peraginates at a trot with Tristan, and she bites at his ruff.  The two wrestle together for 30 seconds afterwards.  Then they head to the southern dam.  Karin follows at first then stops to watch, just inside Down Slope B.  She waits 10 seconds and then follows the others. 

 

Interpretationn:  Tristan and Maya were playing with each other and then run off for an unknown reason.  Karin follows them, curious, but is still not sure if she wants to follow.  Eventually she decides it is safe and continues on.  She might be afraid of Erin. 

 

19:05

Observation:  The wolves walk down into water under a tree by the dam.  Erin and Maya are actually by the water.  Marion is also present.  Karin comes over as well. 

 

Interpretationn:  The wolves like to hangout together, so they are all at the dam at the same time.

 

19:08

Observation:  Karin walks into water and lunges with a snap at Erin.  A whine is heard.

 

Interpretationn:  Karin is trying to threaten Erin.

 

19:10

Observation:  Seneca and Miska show up.  Erin and Karin are still in the water.  Then at least three of the wolves including Erin and Seneca, mob Karin.  Karin appears to disappear from view underneath the attacking wolves.  Squealing and growling can be heard.  Chetan and Maya watch during the fight and I lose track of where Marion and Miska are in my excitement.  It is possible they attacked Karin as well, though I am not sure.  All the wolves leave, except for Karin who stands in the water.  Erin returns, and circles around Karin in the water.  Karin puckers and Erin eventually gets out of the water.  Erin then stands on the shoreline staring at Karin.

 

Interpretationn:  Karin looks like a victim.  When Miska and Seneca show up Erin gets the confidence she needs to attack.  Afterwards, Erin still wants to confront Karin, however without backup, all she does is threaten.

 

19:20

Observation:  Marion and Erin both stand on the shoreline watching Karin, who is still in the water.  Marion is hackled at H1234.  Erin is hackled H12.  Seneca comes over periodically.  He stares at Karin for five seconds; leaves for thirty seconds; and he then repeats the cycle. 

 

Interpretationn:  There is still much aggressive energy in Marion, Erin, and Seneca.

 

19:23

Observation:  All wolves but Karin have left.  Karin hesitantly steps on ground and shakes off.  Her tail is T3.5, ears erect, and she starts sniffing the branches and leaves around her.

 

Interpretationn:  Karin is cold and wet, and she wants out of the water.  She still smells the other wolves on the greenery.

 

19:25

Observation:  Erin and Marion approach Karin from the west side this time.  Karin backs back down into the water again as soon as she hears wolves coming.  Marion is at H1.  Erin stops briefly just in front of Karin before bolting by.  Erin is not hackled up.  Erin circles wide behind Karin who puckers at her.  Marion is still on the west side of Karin and begins to find a way down to Karin.

 

Interpretationn:  Erin is still a bit intimidated by Karin, she is hesitant to cross the path near Karin’s position.  She was not hackled though, so she was not very aroused by it.  Marion and Erin are still working together to harass Karin.

 

19:27

Observation:  Erin and Marion come up behind Karin.  I hear a yelp but can not see who made it.  Karin retreats up on the land and lays down three feet behind the perimeter fence under heavy brush cover.  Marion and Erin remain at the water’s edge, chomping on tree trunks, roots, branches, and leaves.

 

Interpretationn:  After a brief confrontation Erin and Marion still have aggression and so displace it onto what is nearby:  tree branches etc.  Karin lays down to send calming signals, but also chooses a heavy brush area to give herself more protection. 

 

19:35

Observation:  Karin is still down.  When Erin and Marion leave, Karin gets up and walks into the shrubs around the corner in Down Slope B. 

 

Interpretationn:  Karin is very cold and wet and wishes to move.  She gains enough confidence to actually stand up and walk around.

 

19:39

Observation:  Karin is still standing in the shrubs when she hears another wolf approaching, she jumps backward with tail at T4.  It’s Tristan, who displays no aggression.  Karin maintains her alert posture.

 

Interpretationn:  Karin is so nervous, that she jumps at the slightest sound.  Karin is not afraid of Tristan, but that fact doesn’t make her less tense.

 

19:45

Observation:  Karin returns to her previous spot.  Erin, Marion, and Tristan arrive and circle in aggressively. They circle her several times but do not attack.

 

Interpretationn:  Erin, Marion, and Tristan all feel aggression towards Karin.  It looks like they will mob her.  Karin is a powerfull wolf, and she has been alpha thoughout the yearling wolves’ lives.  This is enough to make them hesitate before attacking.

 

19:46

Observation:  Erin, Marion, and Tristan all leave to “play” on logs in Pond East.  Note: in using the term “play” I assume it is low level aggression.

 

Interpretationn:  The wolves need to relieve some tension and do so by playing.

 

19:50

Observation:  Erin and Tristan are playing and wrestling.  Then Erin and Marion start moving back toward Karin.  At first it is just a steady gait, but then they begin to run after they leave the Pine Ridge.  Seneca, Miska, and Chetan all follow.   When the boys break through the Pine Ridge, they mob Chetan.  Afterwards, they take off again toward Karin.

 

Interpretationn:  The wolves wish to attack Karin.  The males take some aggression out on Chetan first, he is an easier target than Karin.  This is displacement behaviour. 

 

19:54

Observation:  Karin is mobbed by all present wolves as soon as Miska and Seneca arrive.  The two males start the fight.  This happens in the same spot as the previous mobbing in the water.

 

Interpretationn:  The wolves act out on aggressive feelings.

 

19:56

Observation:  The fighting stops.  The East Lake wolves howl, and the main pack runs away toward them (west) to howl back.  Karin stands in the water and whines softly.

 

Interpretationn:  The pack feels the need to howl back at the East Lake wolves.  Karin is hurt and afraid.

 

19:57

Observation:  Marion and Erin return.  They stare at Karin who is in the water.  Karin puckers at them.  Marion and Erin circle in closer but then leave.  They repeat this cycle once.  Erin then leaves, but Marion stays and watches Karin.  Erin then returns with Maya.

 

Interpretationn:  There is still restless aggression in Marion and Erin.  They want to attack Karin but have no initiative.

 

20:02

Observation:  Marion circles Karin in water.  Erin trots back and forth along the fence, coming in and out of my sight.  Marion disappears along the shoreline.  Maya walks into water four to five feet away from Karin, looks at her and then leaves.

 

Interpretationn:  Maya can sense or smell the hormones and is curious.  However, she is too wary to actually get closer to Karin.

 

20:03

Observation:  Erin comes back, watching Karin again, and then walks away.

 

Interpretationn:  Erin is still aggressively aroused.

 

20:04

Observation:  Erin, Tristan, and Marion all run towards East Lake. 

 

Interpretationn:  Mark (staff member) caught their attention.

 

20:06

Observation:  Karin, still in the water, is watching.  Marion returns to watch her.

 

Interpretationn:  Karin is afraid, and Marion is aroused.

 

20:08

Observation:  Marion snarls at Karin.

 

Interpretationn:  Marion is more aroused than the other wolves. 

 

20:12

Observation:  Mark leads Marion away as well as the others.  Karin slowly heads out of water.

 

Interpretationn:  Karin is afraid to get out, because the other wolves are always around.

 

20:17

Observation:  Karin gets out of the water slowly then runs with increasing speed around to Western Front.  On Down Slope A, Chetan gets mobbed by Seneca and Miska.

 

Interpretationn:  Karin is still afraid some wolf will get her if she leaves the water.  However, once she is out, she is afraid enough to run away quickly.  Chetan is receiving less tolerance and possible displaced aggression by Miska and Seneca.

 

20:29

Observation:  Karin is by the bleachers/Western Front.  She is standing with tail at T4, pressing hard enough against the fencing for most of her fur to poke through.  Erin and Marion run over and confront Karin, making a triangle formation. Karin’s body is seen visibly twitching and her ears are flat back.  She sits and scootches back as far as possible.  The other wolves now come out to the Western Front as well.  Chetan is mobbed by Seneca and Miska near the logs. 

 

Interpretationn:  Karin is very afraid.  She is trying to either back up more to protect herself or needs to feel the security of the fence on one side of her. She is also to get farther away from the other wolves.  Karin has no escape.  All wolves follow as they are either aroused or curious.  Seneca and Miska funnel their aggression on Chetan.

 

20:31

Observation:  The other wolves surround Karin in a half circle.  They stare at each other for a few seconds.  Karin then snaps three times from North (left) to South (right).  She then snaps twice back in the other direction.  Erin lunges at her with a snap but pulls back.  However, when Erin moved, Marion, then Chetan, then all others except Maya lunge in attacking and biting Karin.  Karin tries to defend herself against them.  She is quickly on her back with wolves tearing and biting her.  Chetan grabs Karin around the soft part of the neck.  He shakes her violently back and forth.  The pack begins to drag her back towards Hut A.  Karin is on her side, back towards the fence.  At this point, Maya joins in.  Karin is dragged out to the Hut A and then into the bushes and out of sight.

 

Interpretationn:  The wolves are acting out on arousal/aggression.  Even Maya joins in because of this unavoidable instinct.  It does not seem she attacked as hard as she could have, however. 

 

 

 

20:39

Observation:  No wolves are visible.  Monty and Mark call the wolves who run up immediately and get locked off in the holding pen.  Monty and Mark start looking for Karin.  They have a hard time finding her looking about five minutes.  Finally, someone spots her in the water by the island.  Karin is lured out with her young puppy Ingo.  Karin is walked over to East Lake moving slowly.  She is afraid to walk though the corridor to her new isolated pen.

 

Interpretationn:  For some reason, the wolves are more interested in people than in Karin at this moment and come to the call.  Either Karin got away in the water, or she swam over after we called the wolves.  She was driven by adrenaline.  Karin is hurt and afraid.  She is very hesitant to walk by the other wolves even though they are not the ones who attacked her due to her recent trauma.