This picture of one of the pups sums it all up – things are slow and lazy around here, including the wolves!  The weather is turning cooler, the nights are getting cold, fall is definitely taking hold around here. 

Comanche is acting strangely as of late with the change in weather. At feeding time he chases Sekani away until the pups have finished eating.  He tries to keep Kiowa out too, but she is having none of that.  We think Comanche is just ensuring the young ones get enough to eat as they prepare for the coming winter.  There is always plenty of food for Sekani when she finally gets a turn, so no one is going hungry. They are all putting on weight and are looking really good in general.

Many of you have expressed interest in how Chief is doing, and we are happy to report that he continues to do fine.  He wanders the enclosure freely, eats and drinks, and otherwise acts normally.  The only place he gets a little confused is down near the house where there are no designated paths, so it is harder for him to remember where he is in relation to walls, fences, feed dishes, etc.  We do think he is probably experiencing smaller “episodes”, as he occasionally gets head twitches and shakes a little.  He will stand for long periods of time without moving, and we don’t know if this is because he doesn’t want to go to the trouble of sitting down with his arthritis, or because he is confused.  But he eats happily, forages for snacks we throw out, and seems happy enough for now. Sigh, old animals can be heart-wrenching.