lucas – Mar 26, 2006 12:00 AM

Lucas continues to be our measure of aging issues in the Retired Pack. Of all the wolves, he is the slowest to rise and has the most sway in his step. His photo this week shows a tall and lean wolf, which may make the joint issues more prevelant than the more compacted body structure of Lakota. Recent emails have noted Lucas looking a bit off on the webcam. We see him gaze off into space, with no real focus to his stare, but when he's stimulated by a staff person or wolves in the other enclosure, he's back to a bright and focused response. He also likes to get his rest more than his packmates, and we observe him resting with head down more than the others. He seems to be over the shyness he displayed earlier in the winter towards staff. Physical inspections are part of the regular wolf care protocol, but behavioral inspections are equally important, specifically at this age.