lucas – Nov 9, 2002 12:00 AM

Lucas Removal from the pack on November 9th, 2002 At 8:30 am, I received a phone call from Wolf care staff member Jen Westlund pertaining to harassment of Lucas by the Arctic wolves. Lucas had been dragged by the neck and hind quarters by both Malik and Shadow. Shadow appeared to have been on the hindquarters where 2 puncture wounds were observed on Lucas. There were no bite wounds on Lucas's neck, nor was there blood on Malik, but Shadow appeared to have blood on his neck. Jen Westlund placed Shadow and Malik in the pack holding area. I immediately phoned Dr. Chip Hanson who met me at the Center. The wounds were not deep, so the immediate need for removal was not a clear-cut issue. But, over the last several weeks, staff have noticed Lucas slowing down, showing hesitation when getting up or lying down and a limited ability to climb rocks in the enclosure. Due to these obvious signs of aging, Dr. Hanson and I discussed the need to consider Lucas's vulnerability if he were to remain in the pack. It was predicted that the harassment would likely continue and may lead to more intensive injuries in the future. With consultation from Assistant Director, Gretchen Diessner, the decision was made to retire Lucas. Dr. Hanson prescribed a 7-day course of anti-biotics for Lucas's hindquarter bite wounds. The transition to the retirement pen went smoothly with the recent completion of the adjoining chute and vestibule system. Lucas showed initial anxiety and aggressive dominance toward Mackenzie, and then settled into eating a beaver. Lakota and Lucas were later observed sleeping in close proximity. MacKenzie has been anxious lately, but this may be more of a response to her advancing eye conditions. Staff will continue to monitor the retirement group for compatibility issues. There will also be directives to monitor the main pack and determine if there is a rank order change between Shadow and Malik.