mackenzie – Jul 9, 2007 12:00 AM

Even though MacKenzie has slowed down and can’t keep up with Lakota, she still maintains dominance over Lakota when the occasion arises. In this week’s photo, she is showing a threat display by barring her teeth, and Lakota responds by giving MacKenzie space. It is important to recognize these behavioral clues as wolf care staff, as the wolves age, they may be less tolerant of handling due to aches and pains or disorientation from the aging process. MacKenzie is still showing good mental capacity, and is much more relaxed this summer than she was last summer. This could be due to the reduction of noise from the Forest Service building across the road or the decision to eliminate nearly all Behind the Scenes traffic to the retired pack. In this week’s video, you will see the relaxed nature of MacKenzie.