mackenzie – Feb 11, 2003 12:00 AM

Curator’s Note: Again, this is the time of the year when wolves reach a hormonal peak as the breeding season progresses. Although the wolves at the Center are spayed and neutered, their dominance behavior can intensify in January and February. Staff are seeing dominance issues in both the Exhibit pack and the Retired Pack. Vermilion Community College Student, Damon Haan writes: "MacKenzie and Lucas are very intent on dominating Lakota. They forced her to submit 6 separate times in a 5 minute observation period, several times, by physically grabbing the scruff of Lakota’s neck and pulling her down. This dominance seems to start after the arctics have a dominance interaction in the Exhibit Pack.