lakota – May 1, 2007 12:00 AM

Wolves are generally complete consumers, meaning that there is very little left after a wolf kill. The captive wolves have similar feeding patterns, although the amount they consume does have some correlation to temperatures. On very warm days, they are less likely to eat as much food. In this week’s photo, you see the remains of a beaver that was fed earlier in the week. They consumed all the meat and left the hide, which is often consumed within a day or two after feeding. The retired wolves reached a milestone this week, MacKenzie and Lakota turned 14 years old. In honor of their birth, we fed them several pieces of chicken thighs, turkey breasts and a roasting hen. They were very enthusiastic with this special treat. In Lakota’s video, she displays another behavioral pattern called a face-wipe. After feeding, there may be some blood from the carcass, wolves will rub their nose in the snow (or in Lakota’s case, straw) as a method of cleaning themselves, or removing strong scent as is common with beaver.