Lucas and the other 1993 pup mates, MacKenzie, Kiana, and Lakota, were born between April 17 and April 20. The source facility referenced the pups as being from different litters. On May 7, 1993, the pups came under the care of the Center’s wolf care team and were raised as a social group of pup mates.  Lucas was the only male in this group of four pups, and by default, he was the dominant male. Typically, pup dominance varies in the pack, but as wolves age, they tend to have a gender-specific rank order.  With Lucas being the only male, he found himself on the fringe of the female dominance and would often be observed standing and watching activity rather than joining in. His pup logs detailed Lucas’s interest in human visitors and was listed as the least shy of all the pups. Another interesting post from his pup logs “From June 19-July 3, 1993” all pups have developed an adult like appearance with eyes changing to the classic amber color. But as Lucas aged, he retained a unique characteristic, eyes that glowed like the color of ocean water. With all of our “Gone but not Forgotten” wolves, we select one word or phrase that characterizes the most memories about their life.  For Lucas, we chose “Sea-Green Eyes”. Go to the National Geographic for Kids website and you will see Lucas.

For more information on our ambassador wolves, watch extended wolf videos on the International Wolf Center’s YouTube Channel or enjoy a close-up of wolf behavior on our Wolf Watch Cams.