Lori Schmidt (LS) paged for an emergency site visit, Yearlings continue to harass Lakota. Staff used noise maker and deer scraps to distract. When LS went in, yearlings were very calm in greeting. The aggressive behavior seems solely focused on Lakota and her rank, Mackenzie and Lucas are very relaxed as well. Superficial bite wounds on Lakota's neck are investigated and a complete physical exam is conducted.
Fed Lakota 1 lb. of meat with Comfort antioxidants. Vitamins to all and Cosequin to Mackenzie. Curator, Lori Schmidt put raccoon urine throughout pen to work as a distraction, and brought in a frozen 20 lb turkey to keep the yearlings occupied during the day. It seemed to have worked well, as they didn't approach Lakota after they found the turkey. This situation should be a reminder that wolves clearly have a significant rank order and within that rank, certain behaviors are expected. When Lakota, as the omega, began to show high tail exuberance, both yearlings focused in on her (Malik as much, if not more than Shadow). Lakota's bite wound on her neck are larger than yesterday, photos were taken and brought to the Vet clinic for consultation, started her on 100 mg of Orbax antibiotics.
All seems fine today. Jen Westlund put yearlings in pack holding area to feed vitamins and Cosequin. Lakota hesitant to approach, but Andrea Lorek Strauss and Jen Westlund were able to deliver Orbax and vitamins to Lakota as well as 3/4 pounds of meat. When Malik and Shadow were released, Jen gave food at the gate to distract the yearlings from seeking out Lakota. Lakota had good movement and appeared to be healing well. Yearlings very calm and moved between the den and the building. Staff are reviewing wolf interaction protocol to ensure that Lakota is not encouraged to show higher rank than an omega position that may make her vulnerable to retaliation from the yearlings. It is natural behavior for the yearlings to attempt to be higher ranking in their pack, but we also see that if the yearlings can focus some of that young energy toward something else, they spend less time attempting to climb rank. The challenge is to come up with distractions and activities to occupy their time this winter. Generally, as wolves reach maturity, 18-24 months, rank is established and they become less exuberant. Although, wolves in captivity are driven by the same instincts as their wild counterparts and dominance strife should be expected at any time.
Ivermectin treatment for heart worm today and vitamins to all wolves. The use of the holding pens for isolation of wolves works well. Malik has a weepy eye (right) but is still active. Lakota dug a tunnel under the temporary fence to get back into the main enclosure.
Yearlings were observed aggressively charging Lakota and continually driving her into the front corner of the building, where she often takes refuge when the yearlings get too intense. Malik appears to have bitten the side of Lakota¹s head causing some bleeding behind her right ear, with Shadow close behind. Lakota still remained alert and with full balance, but this bite was much more problematic than earlier attempts by the yearlings. The Center¹s veterinarian, Dr. Chip Hanson was consulted and Lakota was started on antibiotics. Curator, Lori Schmidt (LS) isolated the yearlings and attempted to clean Lakota's wound, but Lakota growled and snapped at LS when she approached. Lakota was given a dose of antibiotics, a pound of beef with warm water broth, and a new straw bed was prepared for her. She settled into the straw bed and remained there for the rest of the day; the yearlings were kept in the holding pen to give Lakota some rest and to discuss the situation. Since the yearlings were raised in this pack holding area, they are very comfortable when isolated. This allows an important management option when separation is necessary. This is not the case for Mackenzie, Lucas and Lakota who are very nervous when they are drawn into the pack holding area. An interesting thing to note here, even while the yearlings are going after Lakota, their interaction with the staff and the alpha wolves are very relaxed. These are not aggressive wolves; they are just very intent on asserting their rank order. Staff has been attempting to provide distractions of scents and various food treats to distract them from Lakota. These distractions work for a while, but it is clear that the yearlings are focused on Lakota as the omega. A management team of Center personnel and veterinarians will meet to discuss the current situation.
This log will be in 4 parts. Please read the logs dated 12/27/01 in sequential order, even though the posting is out of order. This was a very important day as Lakota's situation warranted close observation and possibly intervention. (afternoon observation) " After discussions with the Center's veterinarian, Dr. Chip Hanson, Board Member and veterinarian, Dr. Larry Anderson, Curator Lori Schmidt, Assistant Director, Gretchen Diessner and Executive Director Walter Medwid, Several options of management were discussed. These options were: 1. Since this is natural rank order dominance, allow it to naturally work itself out. 2. Consider removing Lakota or keeping the yearlings in long-term isolation until after the breeding season sometime in March. 3. Utilize the medication Chlomipramine that was successfully used during the Center's pond construction project. There are pros and cons with each option, and each was discussed in length before decision was made.
Part 2 – discussing Lakota's option with the Vet's. Option 1 Both Center personnel and associated veterinarians agreed that even though the behavior was natural, the fact that Lakota didn¹t have the freedom to disperse from the pack (as might occur in the wild) or to put a significant distance between herself and the yearlings, made the situation less tolerable. While it was agreed that, if left alone, it was likely that the wolves would have worked it out and the yearlings would have been less intense as they matured, it was not acceptable to allow Lakota to be constantly harassed.
Vitamins to all, but Lakota only received one since she scent rolled on the first one given to her as well as the third try. She was very active, and decided not to donate any more vitamins to her scent rolling demonstration.
Part 3 discussing Lakota's option with the vets. Option 2 Due to the nature of the wolves having such a structured dominance hierarchy, there was concern that if Lakota was removed for even a short period of time, that she would not be allowed into the pack at a later date. Many captive facilities have documented as short as a 2-hour absence from the pack has caused some wolves to be treated as dispersers when they have been attempted to be reintroduced. The fact that we could still put the yearlings in the pack holding area adjacent to the main enclosure was likely successful because they were young, we generally separated them together and we did it as a daily routine, so, it was conditioned and accepted as normal. To keep the yearlings isolated for several months in the pack holding area may cause them negative aversion toward the pack holding area and ultimately affect the future use of these pens for emergency or day to day management. In October when the yearlings were isolated for mobbing Mackenzie, we saw some dominance aggression between the fences, causing some concern about fence biting and injury. If there was long-term isolation, it was a priority for us to avoid negative conditioning and attempt to maintain the integrity of the pack. Many facilities solve management problems by isolating wolves into pairs or threesomes, to avoid problems. Wolves are pack animals, and even when there¹s strife, the tendency to be in a social group is strong. For example, even during the most intense dominance toward Lakota, she was observed following the yearlings, pawing at them to pay attention to her and when the yearlings were isolated Mackenzie and Lucas spent much of their time whining at the gate. The Center staff wanted to attempt other options first with isolation as a last resort.
Part 4 in the discussion with the vet's concerning Lakota's situation. Option 3 During the pond construction, the Center¹s veterinarian recommended the use of Chlomipramine, a tricyclic antidepressant, to help reduce the anxiety associated with the large, invasive project in the enclosure. The wolves were started on a 75-mg dose for 14 days during the most intense portion of the project. This dosage was very successful in keeping the wolves calm during a project that involved the use of heavy equipment, a large number of construction workers, loud noises and concrete trucks pouring the pond well past midnight, floodlights and all. Further research and consultation (including Dr. Nicholas Dodman at Tufts University) led to the possibility of Chlomipramine as a behavioral modifier for the yearling's intensive mobbing of Lakota. Chlomipramine works as a neuro-blocker, blocking the uptake of Serotonin, a naturally occurring chemical in the body. With increased Serotonin, the animals confidence increases, where they "feel more comfortable in their own skin" in theory, causing them less need to assert their dominance over the omega or asserting their position with less intensity. Over the last several weeks, there as been a noticeable intensity, bordering on obsession to keep Lakota confined to the den or a small area in front of the exhibit. If Chlomipramine keeps the yearlings calmer and more confident, maybe there wouldn¹t be such an obsessive need to keep Lakota so submissive. The drawback of this option is that limited data is available on the use of Chlomipramine in wolves. The decision was attempt to modify the current pack dynamics to reduce the focus on Lakota by use of 75 mg of Chlomipramine once daily to both Shadow and Malik, beginning on 12-27-01. This information is not meant to be an endorsement for the use of Chlomipramine, any decision to use medication in animals should be based on the consultation of a veterinarian.
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