Lakota continues to be very active and spry in the mornings. She have been very enthusiastic with facial greetings wehn greeting staff in the mornings. She has been observed this week actively submitting to MacKenzie, who has maintained her alpha status into her old age.
Warmer than normal weather in late August and early September has brought a reoccuring presence of biting flies to the site. Wolf care staff do daily checks on the wolves to look for fly bites, evidence of any injuries or abnormalities. This is especially important for the retired wolves that are going on 12 years of age. Lakota seems to have developed a small lump on her left hind leg. The veterinarian has looked at it and will likely take a tissue biopsy during the October medical exam. It doesn't seem to hinder Lakota's playful personality. She continues to race around the enclosure enticing Lucas and MacKenzie to chase her and has dug herself several tunnels in the enclosure to stay cool on the warm late summer days.
Lakota is acting like a 2-year old rather than a wolf knocking on the door of 12 years. She has been actively expanding two den holes in the enclosure. The first she started when the pups arrived, the second hole she started under one of the den boxes. Wolf care volunteer, Matt Fetterer climbed into the hole and found the first hole to be over 10 feet deep. She remains healthy and frequently jumps on and off the top of the den box, versus MacKenzie's who's hips aren't strong enough to make the leap.
Lakota seems to usually start the pack rallies in the morning. She is demonstrating less bark howling than she did in earlier weeks, but still seems to be focused on activity in the main enclosure. Even though she still gets dominated by Lucas and MacKenzie, she does manage to defend a deer carcass without trouble.
This is the new format for the wolf logs. Each wolf will have specific information about their physical and behavioral status. Lakota was chosen for the first submission. Since the pups arrived, Lakota has been bark howling, toward the pups and the nannies. There appears to a level of excitement to see the pups whenever they are in the outdoor enclosure. Some staff think she wants to see the pups as a social care giving mood, others think she wants something lower ranking than she is. Until Lakota starts talking, the behavioral interpretations are just that… interpretations.
Lakota continues to show interest in the puppies, but as she acts more dominant, the other Lucas and MacKenzie remind her of her status in their retirement enclosure. In this photo, Lucas is doing a standover, an active dominance posture showing Lakota that she is still lower ranking. From the look on Lakota's face and the submissive ear posture, she accepts this position.
Lakota decides to share a den box with Lucas while their enclosure was being cleaned by staff member Damon Haan.She and Lucas have always had a great relationship as siblings, I guess they still do.
Lakota started at least 10 howling bouts today. On about 4 occassions, the Exhibit pack howled back, but they became conditioned to ignore her after about the 5th time. She is constantly at the fence peering into the main enclosure. She is beginning to grow her winter coat in and frequently stimulates MacKenzie to chase her. MacKenzie has been observed standing in the front of the enclosure, waiting for Lakota to run by rather than chase her.
Ointment on all wolves daily and vitamins to all wolves daily. Use of holding pen seems very successful, able to isolate Lakota for special needs without having trouble with the yearlings. It is important to note that the Yearlings need to be drawn off the main enclosure first by putting them in the pack holding area, then draw Lakota into the smaller holding pen. This will avoid the Arctic yearlings mobbing her from behind when she goes in. Also, Lakota needs to be the first wolf out of the holding pen, so the yearlings aren't outside of the gate waiting to mob her. Lakota is very wary of the yearlings presence and avoids being in an area that makes her vulnerable.
Lakota has been the center of the yearlings attention again, she is back on antibiotics for a recent bite wound. The yearlings are testing their status with regularity. Mackenzie seems to focus on Shadow when he becomes too intense and actively pursues him to make him submit. Lakota immediately takes advantage of this situation and approaches with high tail looking to get a bite out of Shadow.
The International Wolf Center advances the survival of wolf populations by teaching about wolves, their relationship to wildlands and the human role in their future.