A Visit with the Sawtooth Pack: Wolves of the Nez Perce - by Sandi Ault

If you're reading this, it might be because you've asked or been asked a variation of the question, "With only two remaining Sawtooth Pack members, is WERC bringing in another Pack?" There is a short and long answer. This email is the short one and over the next six months, you'll become part of this conversation as we explore all of the issues and concerns and come to our precise timing of the decision.

Without hesitation, it is my deliberate ambition, based on the knowledge at hand, that the Wolf Education & Research Center will be introducing a new Pack to the Center in as early as late Spring of 2008 and as late as the following year. It is imperative to our Education programs, the attraction of quality Interns, and the unmistakable and supernatural bond between our volunteers, donors, staff, and board members to the environment around each of us.

Our initial plan is to begin retiring the Sawtooth Pack, removing them from the public to allow them a natural and humane aging process. Jeremy Heft will continue his compassionate care for Piyip and Motoki and we will continue to inform you about their condition and activities. Even as I write this letter, we face an interesting new situation where Motoki will be entering estrus and Piyip will find himself as the only male that can participate in her biological journey. Piyip has only known his status as the low-ranking male and now, in Motomo's absence, fills the Alpha position. This should be interesting to watch and again, we'll tell you all about it.

The relevance of introducing a new pack is immensely important. As the unfolding discussion of the place Wolves have in the regional landscape takes place, there needs to be places where people can come face to face with these animals. Additionally, there needs to be places where there is advocacy for our wild and untouched spaces. And individuals who represent the collective voice of accountability for our local and national government. WERC is that advocate and I'm appealing to each of you to consider your commitment to the future.

As we move forward with a plan, please understand that the responsible decision is qualified by consulting other wildlife experts, ethicists, our donors and members, and our staff and board members. The result, if approved, is at least a ten year commitment to caring for another Pack. We need to know that our members are committed to the decision and the resulting programs that stem from education about the Pack and their wild cousins. The foundation for this plan can only be built on the strong assurance from our community that you will support this decision. It will not come without considerable cost. I would appeal to you that no reward does.

The next issue of the Sawtooth Legacy Quarterly will introduce the beginning of this discussion. The following may be reporting the actual plan. You can also keep an eye on our website to find the latest information related to this decision and other news.

Until we communicate again, thank you for your continued support. Our mission to inform the public during this difficult time is more relevant than ever as WERC continues to advocate for those without a defense.

Kind Regards,
Chris Anderson, Executive Director
Wolf Education & Research Center

---

Motomo - "He Who Goes First"

October 6, 2007

The Wolf Education and Research Center is sad to announce the passing of Motomo, the long-time alpha-male of the Sawtooth Pack. Motomo was found deceased on the morning of Saturday, October 6 near one of his favorite resting places. He was apparently walking toward one of his favorite daybeds when he collapsed. His passing appeared peaceful, and there was no indication the other wolves were involved. Although the details of his death are currently being determined by a necropsy at the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, it is clear that some acute, yet severe medical condition, likely linked to his old age, caused his passing.

Motomo had been gaining weight and winter undercoat fur lately as the entire pack prepared for the onset of winter. His behavior was also completely normal all the way up to his death. Motomo held the alpha-male rank among the pack for nearly the past six years, and will be the last "true" alpha in the Sawtooth Pack's history. Contrary to his name's sake, "he who goes first", Motomo was the last of the elder eight of the Sawtooth Pack. Now, the pair of Piyip and Motoki are the only members to survive Motomo among the pack. Motomo was 15 years old, and will be missed greatly by us all.

J Heft

---

Our "Little Sister"

April 22, 1996 - December 24, 2006

The longtime alpha-female, Ayet, suddenly passed away on a cold Christmas Eve morning, being the eighth member of the Sawtooth Pack: Wolves of the Nez Perce to complete their journey on Earth. Ayet was always known as the anti-social and consistently dominant alpha-female for the later years of the pack. She shared many of the same qualities that allowed her mother, Chemukh, to hold the alpha-female rank for several years prior to Ayet's rise. Ironically, it was Ayet who removed Chemukh from power (with help from Motoki), then assumed the lead female in the pack until one week before her death. As with all of the Sawtooth Pack members, Ayet's story paints a picture of a wolf with distinct characteristics who sacrificed her freedom to teach the world the realities of her species.
This is Ayet's story.

Ayet was born on April 22, 1996 with her sister Motoki and brother Piyip in the Sawtooth Pack's original enclosure near Stanley, Idaho. The pack's founder, Jim Dutcher, filmed her birth, as her litter was the first, and only, litter to be born into the pack. The all black-colored pups quickly became the pride and joy of their parents, Kamots and Chemukh, and the remainder of the pack.

Ayet and her siblings were removed from the pack shortly after birth and began their human socialization process isolated from the pack. Then at four months old, the three pups made the long drive with the pack from Stanley to their permanent home outside Winchester. Not long after this big transition were they introduced back to their native pack, and also all females were tubally-ligated, preventing any further puppies among the pack.

Ayet, Motoki, and Piyip were now sub-adults and they began to slowly transition into the adult hierarchy. As with all puppies or sub-adults, the youngsters were provided a special status within the pack and played often with all members. Weyekin and Matsi took special interest in watching over the pups and provided guidance for them through their youth. As each of the pups began to grow into the hierarchy, Kamots continued to provide special consideration toward them, thus they all moved immediately into mid-ranking members of the pack. Ayet and Motoki shared close mid-ranking positions among the female hierarchy while helping their mother, Chemukh, discipline and suppress Weyekin. Ayet held this mid-rank until Weyekin's death in 1999 which disrupted the female hierarchy and allowed the two sisters to depose their own mother from the alpha-female rank.

Ayet assumed control of the female hierarchy at 3 years old and would hold the alpha-female role for the majority of her life thereafter. Two months into her new reign, the largest disruption in the Sawtooth Pack's hierarchy occurred, Kamots suddenly was ousted from alpha-male. Amani immediately assumed breeding rights with Ayet since the deposition occurred in the peak of breeding season. Ayet moved through her first breeding season as alpha with Amani as her suitor. Amani later claimed the alpha-male rank and Ayet continued to be his mate until Amani was deposed in January of 2002.

The very next day after Amani's deposition, Motoki suddenly challenged Ayet and a serious fight between the two ends with Motoki the champion. A dejected Ayet exiled herself from the pack temporarily, and then assumed the submissive female under Motoki's rule. However, Ayet did not remain in this position for long. At the completion of the breeding season, Motoki loosened her control over Ayet, who quickly convinced Motomo to mate with her too. For the first time in WERC history, two females were mated by the same alpha-male within the same breeding season. Once Motomo guarded Ayet (a normal behavior where the alpha-male will not allow any wolf near his mate), Motoki is prevented from discipling Ayet and reinforcing her new alpha status. Furthermore, Motomo disciplined Motoki continuously for approaching Ayet, which led to Motoki becoming compromised.

Ayet took advantage of the situation and overthrew her sister after a short 2-month role reversal. Ayet would then hold the alpha-female position for the next 5 years without interruption. She increased her regular dominance displays toward Motoki, which successfully suppressed her sister through these years. The frequent dominance displays and isolated fights between the sisters through the years caused numerous scars on Ayet's muzzle, including a "tear-drop" scar under each eye and a deformed nose pad. Ayet resembled a seasoned boxer for the second half of her life, no doubt.

The next five years were relatively uneventful for Ayet. The pack slowly decreased in number, which also decreased the aggressive tendencies of the pack. Motoki appeared content with her submissive role, yet Ayet would consistently remind her sister to remain submissive through frequent dominance displays. Ironically, it would be an elevated dominance display caused by an aberrant event that would cause Ayet's demise.

On December 15, 2006, the territory of the Sawtooth Pack experienced the worst wind storm in WERC history, with gusts around 70 mph ripping through the trees. By first light of the morning after the storm, three trees had collapsed over the double-fenced enclosure perimeter. One large Ponderosa Pine had caused severe damage to the inside fence to the point where the pack could easily escape the inner perimeter. The pack was found between the two fences, frightened and trapped between the fences.

Motomo, Piyip, and Motoki were all moved back into the enclosure through an access gate; however, Ayet ran from the scene and successfully breached several locked gates meant to contain escaped wolves. Ayet was then separated from her pack, an event that always causes a tremendous amount of stress among the entire pack. After about 25 minutes, Ayet was contained and ran back into the enclosure on her own accord. Later that day, Ayet exerted severe dominance over Motoki in several aggressive episodes that caused significant injuries to Motoki. Such an escalation in dominance is normal when the pack is placed under heavy stress, where the dominant ranks typically exert high discipline to reassert their rank. As usual, Ayet took this interaction to the extreme and battered Motoki.

In the following two days, Ayet attempted regular dominance toward Motoki, however Motoki did not submit and then began to make dominant advances toward Ayet, who avoided these advances by walking away. Two days after the windstorm, Motoki successfully deposed Ayet in a quick battle. Ayet submitted fully to her sister, then exiled herself away from the pack. Ayet was not social with the pack for the next week, however Motoki and Piyip would seek her out and reinforce the rank change through brief, yet severe, dominance interactions.

Ayet sustained typical injuries due to these encounters, and otherwise remained healthy. Then, suddenly Ayet passed away in the early morning of December 24th. A necropsy performed a few days later at Washington State University's Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory concluded that Ayet succumbed to a pulmonary embolism, a blood clot that traveled from some injured muscle of her hind legs to her lungs and caused an instant death. Such an event is common in both canines and humans after muscular trauma, and could not be prevented or treated in Ayet's situation.

Ayet was deemed the most "wild" of the pack by many due to her behaviors and appearance. She was always the most petite and lightest member of the pack, a body form that contrasted the majority of the pack members'. This thin, sleek body condition resembled a wild wolf stature, but her typical behaviors were nearly as wild. Always aloof towards humans, and physically dominant toward her pack mates, Ayet sometimes appeared to have missed some of the human socialization teachings as a pup. Only select handlers, mostly female, ever had success in greeting and scratching Ayet. To most, she remained at least 10 feet away.

However, Ayet did have a social side on occasion, and was known for being one of the most playful among the pack. She initiated play toward a few trusted handlers and towards her siblings on occasion. Yet most of her time was spent enforcing her hierarchy. It was evident that Ayet lived by her sword, unfortunately the euphemism came true for her, and her demise came indirectly from the sword of her long-time submissive sister and brother.

Ayet held an important position within the pack and thus the pack dynamics will never be the same without her. Her wild, dominant, and playful nature will be missed by the pack and those of us who cared for her through the years. Life around the pack will not be the same without our "Ayetter", our "little sister" who lived big her whole life.

J Heft