mackenzie – May 16, 2006 12:00 AM

MacKenzie was one of those wolves that was born a leader. Even in aging years, she still controls the pack structure of the retired pack, and sometimes with intensity. In this week's photo, Lucas came out of the den box and did a stand-over as a show of dominance. MacKenzie continued to tolerate Lucas's passive show of dominance for a minute or two, but when Lakota came over to see if she could try, MacKenzie reminded both of her packmates about who they were dealing with. Muzzle biting, which MacKenzie demonstrates in this week's photo, is a common form of wolf communication when an individual needs to make sure their packmates understand the message.