mackenzie – Sep 17, 2007 12:00 AM

One of the concerns when working with wolves is the issue of separation from the pack being perceived as a dispersal from the pack. Some facilities have observed problems when a pack member is absent, even for the shortest of veterinary checks, and the rest of the pack doesn’t accept it back. We had a bit of concern about Lakota’s surgery, but we were cautious and kept Lakota in the adjacent vestibule in the Retired Pack so MacKenzie was able to see her. MacKenzie was amazingly tolerant, and lay several feet from the gate until Lakota was returned later to the enclosure. There has been no sign of investigation of Lakota’s stitches, and no dominance between the sisters.