The following was written by Jen Wagner, a participant in the Workin' for Wolves weekend – October 2004. Lucas did very well this weekend with all the activity. At times, he was pacing, but he soon settled down. He was standing really well without leaning on MacKenzie and Lakota for support. It was a joy to watch him this weekend, I have a friend for life.
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The following was written by Lori Rhodes, a participant in the Workin' for Wolves weekend – October 2004. Although MacKenzie is no longer part of the Exhibit Pack, she continues to be one of the most talked about wolves. Even though she tends to be a bit reserved and keep to herself throughout the weekend, she did come up and check things out as work was being done in the Retired enclosure. As a long time admirer, I was thrilled to be able to be a part of her world if only for a short time. Thanks for a memorable weekend.
Maya enjoyed the weekend snowfall and managed to get the deer head from the other pups before Malik stole it and dominated it. In a series of photos taken, Maya is observed racing around the pen, rolling in the new snowfall and occassionally rolling on top of the deer head. Despite her two overactive pupmates, she manages to get enough food and fun.
I hope you all had a great holiday season. The wolves weathered the holiday well considering the December 26th – 9 am wolf check was -34 degrees below zero. On New Year's day, nearly 10 inches of snow fell creating a great diversion for the wolves (the pups love fresh snow) and many hours of work for the curator. Enjoy the winter photos…
I hope you all had a great holiday season. The wolves weathered the holiday well considering the December 26th – 9 am wolf check was -34 degrees below zero. On New Year's day, nearly 10 inches of snow fell creating a great diversion for the wolves (the pups love fresh snow) and many hours of work for the curator. Enjoy the winter photos…
Nyssa is a very confident wolf. She appears to do whatever she wants, whenever she wants to do it. The one thing she seems to enjoy is the attention of Shadow. There are many photos since the introduction showing Shadow and Nyssa face to face, either greeting, howling or just sharing a moment. Nyssa is quite the dominant pup when it comes to a deer carcass. She still dominates the feeding program and has no concern about taking on Shadow or Malik. Shadow, being more of the caregiver role in the pack, allows the pups to eat whatever they want without too much contact. Malik, doesn't seem to be as patient, and often tries to grab the carcass and run, usually facing the wrath of Nyssa. When staff enter the enclosure, Nyssa jumps right up on the rock to get her greeting, even if it means pushing another wolf off. Last week, Grizzer returned the favor, rolling Nyssa off the back side of the rock to the ground.
Wolf care staff noticed Lucas having difficulty with balance and stability in his hind legs this morning. The Center Veterinarian, Dr. Chip Hanson arrived for an examination and prescribed Deramax, a pain killer to ease his discomfort from a chronic degenerative spine condition. If this is not effective, a more aggressive treatment with steroids may be implemented. This spinal condition was first identified in the October 2004 immobilzation, where all the wolves were drugged and brought to the lab for a complete examination. Staff have been monitoring his comfort level and were quick to note any change in behavior, attitude or pain response. He's been on joint and immuno-nutritional aid supplements for the management of chronic inflammatory conditions for the last several years. The last several weeks, wolf care staff have had many daily brushing sessions to remove shedding hair in efforts to make him more comfortable. As his winter coat was shed, his physical structure was more apparent. He appears to be losing muscle tone and motor skills as well as having difficulty with muscle control during defecation, possibly indicating that this condition is worsening. Wolf care staff delivered a straw bale to the pack for more comfort and warmth during today's rain. Lucas was hand fed several pounds of meat after the Deramax treatment and will be on daily feedings to reduce and stomach discomfort during the treatments. With the Ethology class on site this week, there is significant observation time to monitor his health. We will post to the logs any significant changes that may occur.
Lucas's condition has improved this morning after 24 hours of Deramax pain killer. Although, he continues to show difficulty defecating. The effectiveness of Deramax may reduce his pain, but this is still a degenerative situation. It's difficult to determine how long the Deramax will be effective. Realistically, we will likely see continued decline in the next 6 – 12 months, although other factors may influence this such as weather conditions. We will continue to use Deramax as long as it keeps him mobile, I will keep taking video footage to document condition. If the Deramax loses effectiveness, we can switch to Steroids. We will use the wolf logs to keep all supporters informed. Thanks again for all the kind thoughts and emails sent by the wolves supporters.
Written by Wolf Ethology student-Christina Meyer: Earlier this week, the weather was hot and muggy, which makes for perfect conditions for bugs. During this time, Mackenzie would come to briefly greet the wolf ethology class, but would return to the back of the enclosure to seek shade. This allowed Lakota to greet the students for more time at the fence. This was followed by a few days of rain, where Mackenzie could be found waiting out the rain in her box. Once the rain passed, she greeted the wolf ethology students more quickly than in previous days.
It's been a calm week with the Exhibit Pack. This time of year, the warmer weather, hormonal influences and lack of active rank order issues make for a quiet existence. The wolves have been investigating the exhibit with more motivation after several enclosure enrichment procedures and increased vegetation that draws in amphibians and a variety of moths, butterflys and dragonflies.
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