| Every wolf pack has two leaders, the alpha male
and the alpha female. The alpha male of the
original Nebraska pack was Chinook, a handsome black wolf with a gray muzzle and white feet. In his prime, he is a laid back and very outgoing
wolf, usually the first one to greet visitors with a little whine as they enter the sanctuary.
Chinook was born on April 24, 1996 at a private facility in Montana but went to the Heritage Zoo in Nebraska when he was just over a month old. He was gradually integrated into their existing pack, but in 1999 the zoo came under new management and decided to phase out their wolf exhibit. The wolves had to find a new home, and, with the help of generous donations by our members, Wolf Haven was able to take them in. They arrived in the middle of the night on January 12,2000, and soon after their release into the new enclosure, the entire pack rallied around Chinook, with much muzzle licking and tail wagging. The status of alpha does not- necessarily mean that the wolf must be a super aggressive bully. As in humans, there are many different leadership styles; Chinook's was one of benign rule, as befitting his personality. At the time, the pack's alpha female, Solo, was more bullying. Though males generally don't interfere in the dominance battles of females, in this case, even the most easy going leader had to sometimes put his foot (paw) down. Solo's attacks on Tonkawa (the omega wolf and subordinate female) occasionally became so intense, Chinook had to rush over to nip her Or} her backside to warn her to back off. Alphahood is also a status, which must frequently be protected, and most wolves that achieve it do not remain alpha for the rest of their lives in the pack. However, it is unusual to be challenged for this position by a precocious son, Oenali, who was not yet two years old at the time. Oenali seemed to have been born with an extremely dominant personality and began to make overtures to supplant Chinook. Denali began testing his father by shoving his way in when Chinook was spending time with the animal care staff, or trying to steal snacks away and even placing his mouth over his father's muzzle; a dominance gesture. Chinook ignored most of Denali' s impudence, but sometimes gave a quick, brusque growl or other chastisement. Denali even outstripped Chinook in size at one year. Solo, the alpha female showed a preference to Denali rather than Chinook, and the pack structure changed on November 25, 2000 when the tension between Solo and Tonkawa had reached the point where it was no longer safe to keep them together. Solo and Denali were moved together to an enclosure off tour. Chinook and Tonkawa have now settled into a peaceful coexistence and have become favorites on the public tour route. Thanks to your generous support, we were able to see a happy ending for Chinook and Tonkawa. Although the Nebraska pack has splintered into two, we have been afforded an educational, first hand glimpse into the complexities of wolf pack structure which we in turn are able to,pass along to the public. We are grateful for your help in this important work. |