Wolves 2000 - Wolf Park

The Quarterly Newsletter of
The North American Wildlife Park Foundation Vol. 27 No. 2 - Spring 2000
Wolf Park is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of wolves in captivity and in the wild through
behavioral research and education.
When the International Wolf Center put together its program for the symposium
Wolves 2000, Holly, the intrepid editor of WOLF! Magazine, cornered me between
the copy machine and the bookcase and said Wolf Park ought to have
representatives there, and, in addition to having “representatives”, one of us
ought to give a presentation. The presenter could be Dr. Klinghammer or Monty
Sloan or me. Unfortunately, travel has been a bit difficult for Dr. Klinghammer in
the past year. He did not think he was up for the trip. Monty said emphatically
he just wanted to report, photograph, and hobnob. That left me.
With Holly continuing to metaphorically prod me in the back and twist my arm
I allowed as how I could probably say something
about our ethogram and perhaps correct a few
misconceptions about wolf expressive behavior.
For example, a common fallacy we encounter at
the Park is the notion that the wolf carrying its tail
highest is the alpha male. “Look, that must be the
alpha! The one wading in the pond! He’s carrying
his tail straight up!” Usually the wolf in question is
Maya, the omega female, who tries harder than
the others to keep her tail out of the water when
she wades.
The abstract I put together had a working title
of Wolf to Human Dictionary, the alias of our ethogram.
An ethogram is a catalogue of a species’
behaviors, from simple behaviors such as facial
expression or tail position, to complex and long
running behaviors like courtship and care of
young. A talk would be a matter of putting some
slides together to illustrate these behaviors. Presenters
had a whopping 15 minutes for their presentation
and 5 minutes to answer questions. That
can be an eternity in the right (or wrong) context
but I gambled on surviving it. Besides, there was
no certainty I’d actually have to go through with it.
Lots of people would be submitting abstracts, so I
assumed I was safe. And of course, there was
Y2K. Maybe we’d all have more pressing things to
worry about come February 2000, like how to fuel
our transportation, keep enough food on hand and
stay warm in unheated buildings in winter. With
any luck, we’d all be caught up in some Mad Max nightmare....
I submitted an abstract. The symposium was still months away. I dismissed
it from my mind, except for occasionally thinking, just in case, of what I would
talk about if the abstract were accepted.
Fall passed. One day I was accosted by a piece of e-mail saying my abstract
had been accepted and telling me when and where to give the talk on A Wolf to
Human Dictionary. Drat. Y2K came and went with nothing more sinister than
Yoko Ono on TV during the countdown to midnight. So with nothing but time
between me and my impending presentation I decided to focus my talk on a few
behaviors, showing how the same motor pattern can be used to mean different
things depending on its amplitude, vigor, and duration.
For example, [giving] “paw” is defined as “to extend or wave the paw, using it
Road Trip! — Wolves 2000
O.J. Volkman lifting Jacona, one of Wolfwood
Ranch’s arctic wolves.
By Pat Goodmann
to touch another or stroking the air in front of or near another. Sometimes the
foreleg is held up and the paw given a limited wave from the knee to the foot.”
The same motor pattern performed faster and more vigorously becomes a
“foreleg stab,” where the wolf is “using the foreleg to stab or swat”. It can be
used in courtship: males will sometimes paw, swat, or pat the female’s rump,
gauging her reaction to a touch there, which may indicate how she would react
to being mounted. Giving paw may be used in “playful” situations, or in clearly
aggressive ones.
Foreleg stabbing may be part of “obnoxious submission”, in which “wolves
use behavior which is ostensibly submissive but do
it so vigorously and persistently that they may actually
displace a higher ranking animal. Sometimes
the submissive wolf pursues the higher ranking wolf
as it leaves to avoid being tripped, poked and effusively
licked. The higher ranking wolf typically
maintains confident behaviors including growling,
high tail carriage, etc, but also tends to leave the
immediate area rapidly.” Also, “paw” can be used
to trip another. I was once privileged to see Chinook
use a whirl and a foreleg stab on his son Kiri,
who was play chasing him. Kiri went down as if
Chinook had been practicing martial arts.
So the presentation began to come together.
Jessica put an outline of the ethogram in HTML on
a CD and included photos and a couple of sound
files of a chorus and a solo howl. This would give
interested visitors to the Wolf Park table a glimpse
of what the next millennium holds: the Wolf Ethogram
CD, with vocalizations, photo illustrations and
a few video clips. We also packed other display
stuff, literature, and some “necessities”. Monty, for
example, would not be parted from his laptop.
Monty had assumed that we would go to Duluth
in his Escort, but he had not counted on a gender
gap issue: clothes. Of the four humans going,
three were women. We were also taking a lot of
stuff to display, including a television set and VCR
Photo by Monty Sloan
on which to run our video, “Wolf Park: an Inside
Perspective” at our table. (We also took along a
video of John Cleese cavorting with lemurs for comic relief, but never got around
to playing it.) We ended up renting a car with more trunk space. Even so the
space was packed. The trunk lid resisted latching, even when Holly, who is a
modern dancer in her other life, balletically jumped up and down on it and tried
to force it. Jessica and I terminated this undignified display. We are of queenly
proportions and do not tolerate being frustrated by mere overstuffed car trunks.
We leaned and slammed and the latch gave up the unequal battle and closed.
We allotted two days for the trip so we could stop off and visit O.J. Volkman
and his arctic wolves in Wyoming, MN. O.J. has a lovely wooded enclosure with
lots of slopes for the wolves. We met Chance and Jacona and Hope, all arctic
wolves, as well as Taz and Bo, black and silver non-arctics who live with them.
(Continued on page 5)

CHECK OUT OUR WEB SITE AT http://www.wolfpark.org
Wolf Park is preparing for the annual opening on May 1, 2000. The wolves, bison, coyote and
foxes are ready to welcome our visitors. During our “closed season” before May 1, we offered
our Howl Night each Saturday evening, and it was well attended — depending on the weather.
This year’s breeding season resulted in no female wolves becoming pregnant. Marion, the
alpha female, is sterilized because we wanted to prevent her having offspring by her father
Seneca, the alpha male. Number three female Maya was also sterilized for health reasons,
leaving Erin, the beta female, as the only reproductively capable female in the main pack.
(Marion and Maya will come into estrous as normal, but will no longer bear pups.)
In due accordance with the pack rank order, the alpha female, Marion, came into full estrous
this year and mated repeatedly with her father Seneca, the alpha male. Since she was sterilized,
she did not conceive. We predicted that Marion would suppress the fertile Erin, who never did
come into full estrous and did not mate. The result: for the first time in several years we will not
have wolf pups born at Wolf Park. However, we plan to obtain two female fox kits from another
facility. Our puppy mother Karin Bloch is again coming from Germany for one month to raise the
young foxes, which will be added to our fox enclosure in due time. Until then, visitors will have a
chance to admire the baby foxes in our nursery.
Wolf Park’s main focus, however, is on wolves. While our wolves live as good a life as is
possible in captivity, the wolves in Minnesota are so far in limbo. They are still considered
“threatened” by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Since their numbers have recovered faster
than anticipated under the recovery plan for the eastern timber wolf, current plans are to give the
state of Minnesota the task of managing the state’s wolf population. Commissions and
committees have met to come up with a wolf management plan acceptable to the USFWS, which
must approve the plan. The Minnesota House of Representatives passed a wolf plan which
would allow the shooting and trapping of wolves to “protect lives, property and pets” in much of
the state. Wolf supporters saw this plan as being an open season on wolves. Fortunately,
following debates and presentations by pro-wolf groups, the plan was rejected by the Senate,
which voted to send the controversial wolf management plan back to the conference committee.
This could result in potentially killing the bill in this session. If the House refuses to meet with the
conference committee, then the bill is (hopefully) dead.
Focusing on wolves, their prey and their habitat is one way to show concern for their survival.
2
However, we wolf supporters must expand our horizons, and see the big picture. For an
excellent compendium of environmental issues I recommend that you pick up a copy of the issue
of TIME: Earth Day 2000, a special edition. Everyone should read it.
I also recommend an article in the April issue of Smithsonian called “Birds, Bees and Even
Nectar-feeding Bats Do It”, by David M Schwarz. He talks about the destruction of habitat of the
insects that pollinate plants, including those essential for food plants needed for human
consumption. Many of these insects follow the blooming season up and down the US and
Canada. If the habitat they need to obtain food on their migration vanishes, they will starve to
death. Efforts are underway to preserve these habitats. We should all, at the local level, be
aware of this problem, and lend support to the appropriate conservation measures.
During each election campaign for national, state and local offices, I make an effort to study
the issues and to evaluate the candidates as best I can. I share with many voters
disenchantment with candidates on both sides. I have finally decided that all those issues that
fire up the emotions of people pale before environmental issues. In that sense I am very
conservative. I want to see preserved or restored natural habitats, clean air and water. I am
concerned about global warming, the dolphins killed by foreign tuna fishermen — and where this
administration caved in to international pressure to exempt their fleets from using the back-up
techniques to release dolphins caught in their nets along with the tuna. So, I will support anyone
who is for the environment. If that is gone, the rest of the issues are unimportant. I am a member
of The League of Conservation Voters. They publish a list of the candidates’ views as well as
voting records on environmental issues. Their information is most helpful.
I love wolves, but unless we save the Earth as we know it, the wolves will not matter either.
To me, they are a symbol of the wilderness which we
must preserve at all costs — along with all the other
things we hold dear.
WOLF PARK Battle Ground, IN 47920
(765) 567-2265 FAX: (765) 567-4299
Wolf Park News Spring 2000
Membership benefits include:
• Free admission to the Park
• Wolf Park News
• 10% off books from the Gift Shop
• Invitation to Members Only Events
• Visitation Privileges With A Wolf*
*Adopt-A-Wolf Sponsorship Only
Weather Permitting
!"
Closed Mondays
Open Tuesday to Sunday
1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.
for Howl Night
#$%&' !"
Wolf Park is open every Saturday
at 7:30 p.m. for Howl Night only
('&)*+
Listen to the intriguing sounds of our
wolves as they communicate through
their howls. After the lecture, join in
a chorus howl of your own.
,'-&#++&
See wolves and bison interact as
wolves test bison for signs of
weakness. Our healthy bison have
nothing to fear from the wolves.
Sunday Only: Lecture 1:00 p.m.
followed by demonstration.
#"
— Members Always Free —
Tuesday - Saturday & Howl Night:
Children 1 to 5 years - FREE
Children 6 to 13 years - $3.00
14 years and older - $4.00
Sunday:
Children 1 to 5 years - FREE
Children 6 to 13 years - $3.00
14 years and older - $5.00
Groups of more than 12 people are admitted at
$3.00 each Tues. - Sat. & Howl Nights. On Sun.,
groups of more than 12 are $4.00 per person.
The Institute of Ethology
supports research and education:
• Wolf Behavior Seminars
• Internships and Practica
• Year-round research opportunities

y Pat Goodmann
I have some sad news — we lost Vega unexpectedly. Amanda Shaad
found her dead in the enclosure she had been sharing with Socrates and
Kiri on the morning of February 23.
On February 22, I went around to give the wolves their Interceptor to protect
them from heartworm. Kiri and Vega approached all waggy tailed, happy,
and eager to take pills in liverwurst. I am glad I got to see this and that I
gave Vega hers in liverwurst; she liked it very much. I saw nothing to make
me think she was in her last twenty-four hours of life. A little later, Holly,
Jess, Monty, and I left for the Wolf 2000 Symposium in Duluth, and the next
morning when Monty checked his e-mail he told us Vega was dead.
While there were no signs of serious violence, Vega did have some bruising
along her back, and lacerations around the anus showed up at the pathology
lab. These were not visible until Vega’s body had been moved and
handled quite a bit. It is possible that Socrates or Kiri, or both, may have
grabbed her once they noticed she was unresponsive. The wounds did not
look serious enough to have caused death. Amanda examined the enclosure
and found no blood, and neither Socrates nor Kiri had marks suggesting
they had been bitten.
I saw one instance years ago where a wolf pinched the body of a dead wolf
hard along the back and then jumped backwards as if expecting a response.
It is possible that the injuries on Vega’s body were of this type – inflicted
after death or while she died, possibly attempting to get a response from
her. At this time, the pathology report is incomplete. Work on the liver indicated
the presence of infection and during the necropsy, Amanda reports
that Vega’s kidneys showed signs of infection and the phrase “chronic renal
failure” was bandied about, but we are still waiting for the final report.
Except for being thin, Vega had been her usual self, including her dexterity
at climbing. When we were inspected by the USDA, I explained to the inspector
that Vega was the only wolf of her age not receiving Cosequin, a
glucosamine chondroitin sulfate supplement, because she was so supple
and had such good range of motion. “Any wolf who can climb the chain link
and hang there like a raccoon while it looks at you is not old enough to need
it,” I said. The inspector burst out laughing.
Before leaving on February 22 for the Wolves 2000 symposium, Monty and I
had debated separating Vega from Kiri and Tease. We agreed that she
seemed so content that there was more chance of her trying to take out her
overhang in an effort to get back in with them than of her wanting to get
away from them while we were gone.
Thinking over Vega’s almost twelve years of life, I regret we did not get her
out for more walks. However, this had to be balanced against her shyness,
which she never entirely overcame, and how hard to catch she could sometimes
be. And, as Amanda pointed out, every time Vega really wanted to
get out, she did. Beautiful Vega, our “princess wolf,” will be much missed.
Vega.
Photo by Monty Sloan
Marion (l) and Tristan (r) rally under Seneca, the alpha male.
Please see our web site for our online catalog!
Behavior seminars consist of lectures, slide, video and film
presentations, observations and hands-on experience with wolves, as well
as the opportunity to see the Wolf-Bison demonstration up close. The
seminars are based on the behavioral research carried out at Wolf Park
since 1972. Enrollment is limited to 25 per seminar. 5-day seminars require
$100 non-refundable deposit to hold a spot; 6-day seminars require $200
non-refundable deposit. Money cannot be applied to future seminars.
Photography seminars consist of a talk on photographing wolves, and 3
hours of supervised outdoor photography with photographer Monty Sloan.
Participants will photograph Park wolves from inside the enclosure. The
wolves are in semi-natural habitat for fantastic photo opportunities.
Enrollment limited to 7 persons. Non-refundable full payment of $150 is
required to hold a spot. In the event of cancellation, money may be applied
to future seminars.
All participants wishing to interact with the wolves must be at least 18 years old and
able-bodied enough to withstand enthusiastic greeting from a 100-pound wolf.
Restrictions will apply.
2000 Dates
One-Day Photography Seminars
October 9, 16, 23, 30; November 6, 27 $150 each
5-Day Wolf Behavior Seminars
April 30 to May 4 $475
August 13 to August 17 $475
October 1 to October 5 $475
6-Day Wolf and Dog Seminar
with Terry Ryan and Dr. Raymond Coppinger
June 18 to June 23 $720
Accommodations are extra.
Seminars fill up, so reserve your spot now!
Wolf Park News Spring 2000 3
Photo by Monty Sloan
The WOLF PARK HISTORY has been updated and now covers an
additional three years! The updated History (spanning 1972-1999) is
available for $25.00. For those who purchased the 25th Anniversary
Edition of the History (covering 1972-1996), a WOLF PARK
HISTORY SUPPLEMENT, covering 1997-1999, is available for
$10.00. Remember, members get 10% off of these books!
Also: CERAMIC and TRAVEL MUGS are $4.95. WINDOW STICKERS are
75 cents, BUMPER STICKERS are $2.00, and LICENSE PLATES are
$4.95 each. The WOLF PARK VIDEO is still available for $18.95. Grey
and white 17” BEAN BAG WOLVES are $19.95, LOGO PINS are $3.95,
and wolf EARRINGS are $8.50.
All items available in the GIFT SHOP or by mail with an additional shipping charge.
We are now renewing stocks for spring! Please call for availability on logo pens, small and
medium bean bag wolves, denim shirts, and adult socks.
E-mail us at w olfpark@w olfpark.org

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.
! ""! #
Paul Hebert came to us from Silicon Valley for a very short practicum
in early March, bringing with him computer parts, memory, monitors,
and a great talent for web editing. He helped Monty set up the Park’s
new online gift shop and even helped do some of the less glamorous
chores around the Park.
Christine Casby did an internship from January to the end of March.
She graduated from Jefferson College in 1979 and is a former
chemical lab technician in the nuclear industry. She enjoys reading,
listening to music, writing, and is interested in cultures of all nations,
especially North and South American Indian origins. She also makes
crafts of all sorts. She was of inestimable value as our sole intern for
almost the whole end of March!
Regen Ton graduated in 1997 from DePauw University. She came for
the breeding season internship in January and February. She has
studied in the Australian rainforest and observed wolves in Vermillion
Community College in Ely, Minnesota. Her hobbies include walking,
hiking, and photography.
Emilienne Parente, from Rio de Janiero, Brazil, did a breeding
season internship in January and February. Her hobbies include
sports, such as soccer, swimming, and kickboxing. She is studying
veterinary medicine at Universidade Estacio De Sa’.
Thanks also to Joanna Greene, Marla Borth, and Lisa Cavanaugh,
who have been mentioned in previous newsletters but deserve
mention again — and to Andrew and Mary Petroski, who should
have been mentioned in a previous newsletter for being the nice
volunteer people that they are. Special thanks to all the volunteers
(Megan, Jenny….) who persist in showing up for Saturday cleanup,
rain or shine. We couldn’t keep this place running without you!
Jerry Cook from Midwest Trenching (Brookston, IN), volunteered
his time to do construction work in the bison pasture.
4
Photo by Dave Hummel
Wolf Park News Spring 2000
()(
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.
Myrta Baldini
Ronald and Jackie Beck
Marla Borth
Bartlett Tree Service
Malinda Carlson
Martina Contreras
Kevin Cote
Phil DePoy
Harriet Doolittle
Crystal Eilenberg
Bryon Elliott
Nancy Engstrom
Laurel Galaszewski
Helene Grimaud
Danielle Hamm
Donna Hays
Marie Herring
Sherry Hinshaw
Harold Hodges
Bill Karn
Marie Kirkus
Jason Koempel
Mary Kozalak
Tim & Karen Kunkelman
Jacoba Line
Patricia Manning
Bob & Gail McGaughey
Theresa Miller
Brook Miller
$% "&'
The following community-minded businesses match your contribution,
making your gift worth two or three times as much.
To find out if your company matches donations, see your personnel office.
American Express
Arthur Anderson & Co.
Atlantic Richfield
AT&T
Automatic Data Processing
Beatrice Foods
Caterpillar, Inc.
The Chubb Group, Inc.
Cigna
Citicorp
Coca-Cola Bottling Co.
Connecticut General Ins. Co.
The Continental Group
CPC International
Cummins Engine Fdn.
Deluxe Check Printers, Inc.
Digital Equipment Corp.
Emhard Corp.
Equitable Life Assurance
Federal Mogul
Fireman's Fund Ins. Co.
General Cinema Corp.
General Electric Co.
B.F. Goodrich Co.
Cas & Lorrie Morris
Dave Opstad
Toni Parker
Carol Perkins
Nick Prentoff
Phyllis Price
Ellen Reintjes
Patti Reynolds
Dr. Jane Richardson
Rita Rozhon
Joseph & Bette Rubinstein
W.J. & Gaile Russ
Kai & Junko Sato
Madeleine Savary
Stanley A. Sawyer
Ruth Schneider
Heather Small
Tim Smiar
Douglas Smith
Ms Richie Tankersley
Joseph Urbano
Lisa Warner
Bob Weiss
Froehlich Werner
Bill Weston
Les & Wynn Wickliff
Joy Witkowski
Jacquelyn Zehring
Ellen Zirkelbach
Special thanks to Paul Hebert for all his help and for his generous donations
of monitors, hard drives, and memory — and thanks also to Bob Fritz, for
Peak Glow Coat, and Pierre Madur, for Becozym.
John A. Hartford Fdn.
IBM
IDS Corp.
IKON
Indiana Bell
Interlake
J & J Snack Foods Corp.
Johnson Controls
K-Mart
McDonald's Corp.
McGraw-Edison Fdn.
McGraw-Hill
Mobil Oil Corp.
National Starch and Chemical
Northwest Industries Fdn.
Norton Co.
J.C. Penney, Inc.
Pepsi-Cola Bottling, Inc.
PPG Industries
Quaker Oats Co.
Radio Shack/Tandy Corp.
Charles Schwab
Smith Barney
Square D Co.

(Continued from page 1)
The Wolfwood Ranch wolves are larger and fluffier than Wolf Park wolves.
Though big and imposing, they have an endearing habit of greeting face to face.
Luckily for O.J., we had no room in the car to steal them.
About an hour out of Duluth, Holly put on a Celtic music CD. Monty passed
me a piece of bubble wrap to play with and I discovered that Irish jigs can be
enhanced by waving bubble wrap and popping the bubbles in time to the music.
When I gave the wrap back to Monty he tried it too and rubbed it against itself
for a sort of washboard band effect. Eat your heart out, RiverDance! There was
a big storm passing through at the time but we saw mostly rain and slushy
snow. Some people could not get to the conference until Friday because air
traffic could not land due to fog. In fact one of the
speakers at the opening address welcomed us to
“Foggy Seattle.” Until Saturday the weather was in
the thirties and quite foggy. This was supposed to
be February. It was also supposed to be Minnesota.
The winter coats stayed in the car trunk.
Once we arrived at the hotel and dumped personal
belongings, we took the rest of the stuff over
to the convention center and marked our territory,
er, table. The banner was hung, the TV and VCR
set up, the literature deployed and we were lucky
enough to be in very close to a large pillar which
served as added display space for some of our
laminated photos. We kept running into familiar
people and sometimes putting faces to those who
had been formerly known only by e-mail. One of the things we did was collect
taped birthday greetings to Dr. Klinghammer from various researchers, former
interns, volunteers and members.
Monty attended sessions with his laptop, madly typing in notes to e-mail to
friends. We often tried to attend different sessions because, to schedule as
many speakers as possible, such symposia usually have concurrent sessions
with very short breaks in between speakers. A lot of the audience was lined up
along the back wall and there was a tendency for the aisle chairs to fill up first.
That way more people were closer to the door when it was time to dash to the
next talk. Here is an excerpt from Monty’s email: “In the morning was a plenary
session (everybody went to those) but in the afternoon there were 5 concurrent
sessions, so you could only see 1/5 of the talks. Sigh.
“They have an auction [as a fund raiser] with Jesse Ventura's book “No time
to Bleed” [being auctioned off] and Dave Mech was talking about its title. He
said he could write a book about this conference and call it “No Time to Pee”.
No time was allotted between 20 minute sessions that each speaker had, yes
only 20 minutes to give their talk and with 4 to 5 consecutive
talks.... Lots of running about, but no time
to pee ;-)”
The IWC was showing various films and videos.
This included The Return of the Wolf from National
Geographic. It was primarily footage of the Druid
Pack in Yellowstone. This film was shot by Bob
Landis and narrated by Doug Smith. It will be shown
as a National Geographic special in the autumn of
2000. It was probably the best film on wolves I have
ever seen.
Cuts from Landis’ footage were also analyzed by
Daniel McNulty for his presentation. He found that
Staff member Jessica Willard at Wolf
Park’s Duluth conference table.
elk have displays which discourage predators. When
wolves come close, the elk engage in a showy elevated
trot, neck upright and face horizontal or slightly above horizontal. The
motor pattern is the same one elk use to display at each other and is also an
indicator of a level of energy and stamina that make them too hard for wolves to
catch. (I was pleased to have another instance of one motor pattern being used
in different contexts.) These displays benefit both elk and wolves in that it saves
them both the energy costs of long chases.
We also got to see the wolf movie – called WOLVES, oddly enough – that
has been in IMAX theaters. It is a nice movie and got lots of compliments, but
compared to Bob Landis’ it was just “Wolves Lite”. I found the IMAX format
annoying – at least for this particular movie. IMAX is wonderful for blurry peripheries
and vertigo, but loses its effect on more earthbound subjects. The lines in
the screen were distracting – I kept noticing them and for a split second trying to
The Yellowstone male (#46) at WSC.
figure out why the sky had cracks or power lines in wilderness area. But the
wolves were pretty and overall the movie was nice. I might have enjoyed the
format more if I had not been in the front row.
We also got to see some footage by Christoph Promberger from Romania.
He and his crew tracked wolves that live around the city of Timmisch. The star
of the video was an alpha female they named Timmisch after the city. There
was an area just outside the city where farmers grazed sheep. Timmisch and
her pack caught sheep occasionally, but if sheep were absent or well guarded
the wolves foraged in the city dump. Much of their activity was at night but
thanks to night scopes Christoph’s video showed them plainly. They scrounged
food and hunted rats and cats who were also scavenging in the dump.
Christoph could probably make a living doing
comedy were he not so attached to research. Not
only did he do a very entertaining job of narration,
he got some inadvertently comical footage of Timmisch
making her way out of the city after a profitable
night at the dump. Her stomach was as round
and tight as if she had swallowed a whole watermelon;
she had plenty of food to take back to her
Photo by Monty Sloan
pups. She trotted calmly down the streets.
Though she avoided humans, she looked as if they
were no more alarming to her than the occasional
car or train. When they blocked her route she just
waited for them to pass. There were some scenes
reminding me of Mack Sennet sight gags where
Timmisch and a human would cross the same road
several yards apart. When this happened we viewers burst out laughing. All
that several Romanians would have had to do to see a real wolf was look up or
slightly to the side, but they went on, oblivious to the wolf and a lot of their other
surroundings too, I’d guess.
Fred Harrington was one of those who arrived late due to weather, and did
his talk right after mine in another room. Here is Monty’s description: “Finally,
Fred Harrington gave his talk, ‘Proximate and ultimate causation in wolf behavior.’
He used some excerpts from R.D. Lawrence’s In Praise of Wolves and a
paper by Dave Mech on howling to exemplify the general misunderstanding and
confusion in describing behavior and generally mixing up proximate and ultimate
causation when describing behavior. He used this technique and really made
howling behavior make sense.”
My talk went okay, though I had one of those Mr. Murphy moments when I
found the order of my slides did not completely follow that of the talk. Also I
didn’t have enough time (practically nobody did) but, bless his heart, Tim Cook,
who moderated that session, let me use my question/answer time to gallop
through the last slides. I got compliments afterward,
and a number of people visited our table to be
“gosh-wowed” by the work Jess had done on the CD
Ethogram.
On Sunday, after overnighting again at O.J.’s and
spending more time with the arctics, we went on to
the Wildlife Science Center. We were shown around
Photo by Monty Sloan
by John Weller, an outreach biologist there. He
gave us a brief history of the facility, including how,
when the original researchers were done with the
wolves, Peggy Callahan, now WSC’s director, refused
to have the wolves euthanized and used her
own savings to enlarge and improve the enclosures.
They have some lovely animals and some have
interesting stories. There is a gorgeous three legged
male wolf from Yellowstone, who lost his leg to a trap and was taken into captivity.
There was also a depredating wolf from the Ely, MN area. She lost part of a
hind paw to a leg hold trap and after that took to visiting musher Will Steger’s
dog yard and eating his sled dogs. Because of her notoriety she was put on
display when caught instead of being euthanized.
We tore ourselves away a little after noon and started the long drive back to
Battle Ground. This time Jess rode with her significant other, Tim, in his car,
leaving us some more elbow room. We caravanned and carried two way radios,
since Tim’s car sometimes does not want to work. There were no incidents —
our brains were beginning to glaze over with all the information. It was around
midnight when we got into Battle Ground, road buzzed but happy. It was good
to hear “our” wolves howling again!
Wolf Park News Spring 2000 5

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. We ask
that any equipment donated be in good, reliable working condition, so that
money, which is always welcome, need not go into repairs. For more
information, please contact us at (765) - 567 - 2265.
White recycled copier paper
Stamps- 33 cents and 20 cents
Dog food for “senior” dogs (for our
“senior” wolves)
Surgical gloves
Window air conditioner
Small bookshelves or display
stands, small dressers or bureaus
Subscriptions to Conservation
Biology or Yukon News
1/4 and 1/2 inch sheets of ply
wood for huts
6
24 or 36 inch trencher
24 inch or wider snow blower
Large contractor clean-up bags 3
mils thick
Pentium 200 or faster processor
and motherboard, computer parts
Gravel to help stop the continual
erosion of our driveway
Knives: carving, fillet, or boning for
butchering
Wheelbarrow
Double-ended snaps for holding up
wolf water buckets
*+#
BASIL’s Evil Twin made a brief appearance this winter. He left early, perhaps
because there was no female fox on which he could practice his charms, but
before leaving he made a show of pouncing on several pairs of boots, and
severely embarrassed a volunteer doing a fox talk one Howl Night by
performing a rather startling “dance” on her head. The “Good” Basil, who
returned in mid-February, has been taken on a number of walks this spring.
The wolves were quite taken with this little moving snack and followed him
attentively. Tristan and Marion pounced along the fence as Basil walked by;
Kiri politely asked to be given the tiny treat; Alyeska and Sierra ambushed,
stalked and pounced at him, and Ursa performed a beautiful textbook-style
hunt, from the initial freeze to the final rush and including a classic “behindthe-hut”
hide as Basil glanced over in her direction and she disappeared, only
to reappear moments later when his attention was diverted. She chased him
at a full run and bounced disappointedly off the fence. Basil thinks that the
large, fuzzy things in the enclosures at East Lake are perhaps very large foxes
who will love him, and squeaks at them.
COREY has not gotten an Evil Twin yet — or the Twin is just too inhibited from
biting humans. Also, there are no girls for him to defend. He has retained his
“half-dominance” over Basil, who will protest and squeak but eventually give
up food or space to Corey. On March 16, the foxes were given two roadkill
bunnies to eat, and Corey threw his up into the air and caught it repeatedly,
mouse-pouncing on it as it came down. He also showed great interest in the
clumps of algae removed from the fox pond when it was cleaned in early
March and mid-April.
Corey, a male red fox, gives the camera an inquisitive look.
Photo by Monty Sloan
Wolf Park News Spring 2000
by Lesley Harrison
Original pastel painting from a Monty Sloan photograph of Wolf Park’s Chetan
“A Quiet Moment”
Limited edition of 450 paper, 100 canvas 12x20” color prints
Paper—$125 Framed paper—$290
Canvas—$185 Framed canvas—$400
A percentage of each sale goes to support the wolves of Wolf Park!
AVAILABLE ONLY FROM:
P. O. Box 893, Carmel Valley, CA, 93924
Phone: 1-800-404-9454 Fax: (831)-659-7306
www.harrison-keller.com
,'
In late September Amanda and I went into the main enclosure, and Miska, after
wading in the pond and getting nicely wet, jumped up on Amanda and gave her
a kiss. This did not endear him to Amanda, who was taken by surprise. She
gasped, glared at him and said “You dare?!”
At this point I began to wonder if Miska’s interactions and Amanda’s reactions
could be expressed in a sort of “Green Eggs and Ham”* format:
Suppose he kissed you on the nose?
Then I’d squirt him with a hose!
What if he brought you gifts of Spam?
I’d have to whack him with a clam.
I DON’T LIKE MISKA, SAM I AM!
But if he tried regurgitation?
My response would be defenestration.
And if he climbed into your lap?
I’d give his furry ears a slap!
Presented with his furry tummy,
I wouldn’t rub it - he’s too scummy.
If he were nice to Fluffy Pup
Then, perhaps, we could make up.
* Green Eggs and Ham was written by Dr. Seuss. Written with apologies to the good
doctor. “Defenestration” is a real word meaning “the act of throwing someone out of a
window”. “Fluffy Pup” is a nickname for Chetan, one of Amanda’s favorite wolves.
Pat’s Poetry Corner is not a regular feature of this newsletter. All complaints should be
directed to the fish.
“The Old Wolf Remembers”

$ - #
AURORA continues to soak up the applause of her adoring public. She has
been a willing “training wolf”, teaching interns how to walk a wolf, and also how
to be walked by a wolf, as Muffin takes the leash in her mouth and leads the
way when she feels the walker is not heading in the proper direction. Aurora
has been “shopping” in the gift shop several times in March and delights in
scent-rolling in the new sweatpants. We have considered marking the clothing
involved as stamped with Aurora’s “scent of approval”.
DENEB has been tiring herself out delightedly fence fighting with Karin, who
has recently been moved nearby and is, if not tireless, than at least a willing
fence fight partner. There is no sign of the Dreaded Toe Abscess, but she has
been considering limping on her right hind foot and so we are watching it
carefully. She wiggles for intern coordinator Mark Woodcock during Saturday
cleanup and was observed on March 25 to scoot on her back, scent-rolling
down a slope in her pen, grinning up at him as she went.
On March 24, photographer Monty Sloan took ORCA for a walk down to the
garden by the fox enclosure to try to get pictures of him in the spring daffodils.
Orca fiercely threatened the Pillow Pack (Apollo and Karin wagged and smiled
bemusedly) on his way down and, once in the garden, proceeded to trample
and then eat the daffodils. He was persuaded to remain by lots of treats and
Monty shot two rolls of film of Orca and the one surviving daffodil.
TRILLIAN has also been walking interns, shuffling down Testosterone Alley
(the new section of trail, where the Pillow Pack, the Mini Pack, and the Boys
can all be seen) in search of the hot dogs which grow wild there. Kiri persists
in half courting her, “rooing” and wagging and bouncing against the fence as
she goes by. Her “fungus patch” on her right flank has healed and furred over
thickly, and she weathered the winter with aplomb.
URSA continues to let the interns get confident before charging at them and
trying to grab the pipe used to dump her water bucket. So far, the interns are
still winning. Ursa got to go on a romp in the bison pasture (sans bison) on
March 26, while we moved Kiri and Socrates into her old pen. She made a
large circuit of the pasture and then rolled happily in the bison’s stock tank,
making herself nice and wet and disgusting for Pat to walk back home.
WILD BILL is a svelte and fluffy coyote and occupies his time running back and
forth along the fence, hoping for meatballs. Aurora “smiles” at him as she is
walked past and he tries fervently to bite her tail. He is getting better with large
groups in the pen and with smaller groups of two or three people he is
positively genial, presenting areas of his body for attention. He is still good at
catching small animals which wander into his pen, which is starting a new life
as the “Vole Motel — Voles Check In, But They Don’t Check Out”.
The MINI PACK got to watch a lot of wolves and even a fox walk past its
enclosure during March. Trillian is greeted with polite hostility; Aurora is
convinced that NK is inviting her to tea while he raises his hackles and growls.
Muffin also happily (if in slow-motion) fence fights with CHANI and SIERRA,
whom she cannot see (Aurora is partly blind) and must fence fight by ear.
BASIL the fox was walked by and considered a tasty treat by Sierra, who
performed a beautiful ambush, stalk, and pounce as if on cue by a trainer.
The PILLOW PACK (APOLLO, aka “Pillow”, ALYESKA, and KARIN) did not
enjoy many human visitors due to Pillow’s grumpiness, but as spring
progressed Pillow was allowed to meet humans again. Besides being excited
and wanting to swing on a volunteer’s new coat, Apollo was very polite and
bathed in the attention. Karin, who misses being out on walks and getting
scratches, snuck in a few minutes of human time behind his back. When
several long-time volunteers went in on March 26, Alyeska was so happy to
see old friends he wiggled back and forth trying to greet everybody, and
though Apollo ritually shushed him both males had silly grins on.
KIRI and SOCRATES got to meet interns on March 26. While Ursa was out on
her romp in the bison pasture, the boys were leashed and taken into her pen to
explore and to be walked past (and perhaps meet) a few interns and
volunteers. Socrates behaved like a perfect gentleman, which is unusual, as
he is the more boisterous of the pair. Kiri was excited to meet new humans
and kept lunging at them to say “hi”, which is not good from a large wolf like
Kiri. He was restrained from meeting them and got grumpier and grumpier
until the humans had to leave. There may be chances for them to meet new
people in the future, but not until later in the summer when they are calmer.
SIGN UP ON-LINE! www.wolfpark.org
#,50
Maya, born in 1998, is the omega female in Wolf
Park’s main pack. She is a friendly black-phase wolf,
outgoing and enthusiastic. She enjoys meeting new
people, and loves to bounce!
Other wolves in the main pack: Seneca, Chetan (grey
males), Miska (black male), and Maya’s social littermates
Marion, Erin, (grey females) and Tristan (grey male).
Support Wolf Park’s mission and activities and get the opportunity to
greet the hand-raised wolves by becoming a wolf sponsor. A privilege
of this program is the chance to meet a wolf first hand. The personal
bond between a real live wolf and her/his sponsors forms a bridge of
concern for wolves in the wild, for which our wolves are ambassadors.
On behalf of the wolves in the wild and in captivity, we appreciate your
continued support through our various levels of membership,
including the Adopt-A-Wolf program.
*'*&&''"
&)'./!%!! 0&'. 1%!!
2+,'-./1%!!
Single membership includes free admission for one to the Park for
one year, a 10% discount on books in the gift shop, invitations to
members-only events, and our quarterly newsletter Wolf Park News.
Family memberships include all of the above plus free admission for
all family members for the year of membership.
Adopt-A-Wolf includes family membership, plus a personalized
Leader of the Pack Certificate with a photo of “your” wolf and signed
by the director. You will have visiting privileges and contact with your
wolf during your sponsorship in most circumstances. If your wolf is
aggressive or shy, or for some reason we do not believe a visit would be
a positive experience for you or your wolf, another will stand as proxy.
You must be 18 or older to meet a wolf. You will receive a life history
of your wolf, quarterly updates and photos. After the spring shedding
season you will receive a sample of wool from your wolf.
Only the Adopt-A-Wolf program includes the opportunity to meet a wolf.
Name: ______________________________________________
Address: ____________________________________________
City: ________________________________________________
State: _________ Zip: _____________ Phone: ____________
My check for $_____________________ is enclosed or
Please make checks payable to: NAWPF or WOLF PARK
You may charge my: MASTERCARD VISA CARD
Account # ______________________ Expiration Date __________
Sign here: _________________________________________________
Your signature is required for MC and VISA charges.
-$*2+,'-*&3'-&''&'("
I plan to contribute my Adopt-A-Wolf gift in:
')&-+-./1%!!4&+''+-. %/1
*Quarterly payments are also accepted via automatic
withdrawal on Mastercard or Visa
I would like to adopt _______________________________________
If you have no preference, a wolf will be selected for you.
55##0 6# #75 %
WOLF PARK Battle Ground IN 47920
(765) 567-2265
Wolf Park News Spring 2000 7

-*.% /
is a quarterly publication which emphasizes
accurate, objective and timely reporting of
news about wolves. It is the best overview
of wolf news available in one publication.
Regular features include news from North America, Europe, and
Asia, research reports, zoo notes, wolves in the media and much
more. Many photos by Monty Sloan highlight each issue. Published
by the North American Wildlife Park Foundation.
Subscription rates:
• U.S. $22.50/year, $40.00/two years;
add $5.00 per year surcharge for first class
mail. Payment by Mastercard, Visa or
Magazine check, made out to WOLF! and drawn on
an United States bank only.
• Canada & Mexico $29.00/year. All other countries $37.50/year
• Sample Copy for new readers only: U.S. $3.95, others $5.95
Write to WOLF!, Battle Ground, IN 47920 USA
(765) 567-2265 FAX (765) 567-4299
e-mail: wolf!@dcwi.com
$"
The Ethology Series publishes original materials for the dissemination
of information in ethology and related fields.
Applied Ethology
Basic Principles of Ethology and Psychology $5.00
Erich Klinghammer. Provides persons who need to handle animals with a
basic understanding of the principles of ethology.
The Management & Socialization of
Captive Wolves (Canis Lupus) at Wolf Park $25.00
Erich Klinghammer and Pat Goodmann. Wolf Park’s protocol for the handling
and care of captive wolves.
Wolf Ethogram $12.00
Pat Goodmann and Erich Klinghammer. A “Wolf-to-English dictionary” for
those interested in wolf behavior.
Wolf Park History 1972-1999 $25.00
Pat Goodmann. REVISED Feb ‘00. The History chronicles Wolf Park from
1972-1999 and documents the Main Pack and the lives of Park animals.
Wolf Park History Supplement: 1997-1999 $15.00
Pat Goodmann. This supplement covers 1997-1999 and is INCLUDED in the
History sold above. It completes the 25th Anniversary Edition of the History.
Wolves of Wolf Park $9.95
Edited by former intern Kristin Hessick. Anecdote-style biographies of the
Wolf Park wolves, coyote, foxes and bison.
Children’s Ethology Series #1: Wolf Park Puppies $1.00
Jessica Willard. A series of children’s guides to Wolf Park; follows Park
puppies from birth to 4 months. 8 pp; many B&W photos by Monty Sloan.
Children’s Ethology Series #2: Wolf Park Foxes $1.00
Jessica Willard. All about red foxes. 8 pp; B&W photos by Monty Sloan.
Please add $3.00 shipping per order.
Directions to Wolf Park:
To reach WOLF PARK from Interstate 65, take the exit for Indiana State
Road 43 North (Brookston, West Lafayette Exit # 178). Go north on 43 a
mile to State Road 225. Turn right (east) and go about 2 miles directly into
Battle Ground. Drive straight through town, cross the railroad tracks and stay
to the left. Drive one long block to Jefferson St. and turn left. Follow
Jefferson St. about 1 1/2 miles until you come to a large sign on your right for
WOLF PARK. We are just 1/4 mile up the gravel drive.
WOLF PARK NEWS is published by the North American Wildlife Park Foundation, Inc. © 2000, all rights reserved. All correspondence should
be addressed to : WOLF PARK NEWS, WOLF PARK, Battle Ground, IN 47920. (765) 567-2265 Website: www.wolfpark.org
The opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of NAWPF, but are those of the individual authors.
Editor in Chief: Erich Klinghammer, Ph.D., Director Editor: Jessica Willard Photographer: Monty Sloan
A Non-profit Organization
NAWPF is a 501 (c)3 Non-Profit Organization.
WOLF PARK
NAWPF
Battle Ground, IN 47920
USA
NON-PROFIT ORG.
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