Druid alpha male 21M mates with Druid 286F

2-7-2004

With the death of 42F, there has been the question of both the stability of the Druid Pack and whether they will have pups in the spring. The alpha male 21M is working on both of these matters.

21M did mate with black Druid female 286 on Feb. 4. According to wolf watcher Tonya Matthews the "coupling lasted 23 minutes." As of Friday Feb. 6 they had been observed mating 3 times. 286F has also been showing some behavior characteristic of an alpha female, or at least one in the making, such as some minor dominance over other pack members (of course they are pups) and some raised leg urinations (called RLU's).

286F is not believed to be 21M's daughter, but rather the daughter the Druid Half Black female and Nez Perce wolf 214M. There is also a slight possibility that 21M was not the father of the Half Black female.

21M seems to be asserting his authority as the leader of the Druid pack and 3-legged 253M is staying in his number two male position. Currently the Druids are pretty weak in the category of adult wolves with just 21M, 253M, and 286F. The rest are pups, although big pups now, but not very good hunters or and probably not much pack defenders either. Should the Slough Creek Pack prove aggressive, the Druids might not be in a good position.

One more yearling female has left the Druid Pack, at least for the time being. The gray female 376F was seen today with absent Druid 255F and the uncollared black wolf nicknamed "302jr."  Meanwhile 302M has reappeared in the area in the company of an uncollared gray female, and an uncollared black male. The gray female may be the one 302M seemed to have paired with before the Agate Pack destroyed the remnants of her pack.

Rick McIntrye told me that one very large black Slough Creek Pack male had been observed today doing RLU's, and he was not the Slough Creek alpha male 261M.

Among wolves, RLU's are one indication of alpha status, but there are many exceptions to this.

  Copyright © 2004  Ralph Maughan