MacKenzie is doing well, her winter coat is really starting to fill out. She still spends most of her time in the corner bed, although as the weather gets colder, you may find her more often in the front of the exhibit in the sun. We will be rearranging den boxes to get better access to the sun and to get away from Lakota's digging.
During this morning's wolf check, the weather was cold, blustery, and very windy. The retired wolves, Lakota in particular, were very frisky this morning, chasing each other around the enclosure. When fresh straw was placed in their bedding areas today, Lakota tried to go into Mackenzie's corner, which resulted in Mackenzie chasing her away. This initiated several bouts of chasing, with all three wolves racing around the enclosure.
MacKenzie has been very social lately, relaxing and rolling over for staff. We have noticed a slight hunch back stance and an extension of her haunches lower to the ground than normal. The vet is very mindful of subtle changes and any indication of a pain response, so MacKenzie is video taped to make comparisons. Her appetite is good and she is very alert to staff. Ever since MacKenzie was moved to retirement, staff has been in the habit of cutting a leg off a deer carcass to make sure she gets a leg to take to her straw bed. As you can see in this week’s video, the practice continues.
We’ve seen no further decline in mobility in MacKenzie since the maintenance dose of anti-inflammatory was started, but some days she just doesn't seem to have the spark as other days and she's beginning to really show her age. As you see from this week’s video, she is able to maneuver as she does a turn around while watching the staff in the enclosure, but it's not at a very fast pace. The high pressure weather system over the weekend has brought cold, clear days, causing a lot of sun reflectance. She seems to be a bit sensitive to the glare, as her photo shows a bit of a squint. Of course, we’re all squinting a bit in the bright sun glaring off the layer of snow. In this colder weather, the retired pack has been getting very frequent feedings, and both seem to be doing well with several bales of straw to choose from. They really do much better in the cold than they do in the hot summer days.
It took a few days of acclimation time for MacKenzie after the tree felling. When she was brought back into the retired enclosure, she was very nervous from the new fallen trees and branches. Wolf Care staff removed most of the branches, making MacKenzie feel more at ease. I think the vision problems made the branches too intimidating. Lucas liked hiding behind them, but MacKenzie wouldn't go back into her normal corner until the branches were moved.
MacKenzie is clearly the dominant female. When Lakota starts getting a bit overexcited, MacKenzie is quick to show her who really runs the Retired Pack. The technique may have slowed with age, but the outcome is the same. Lakota tips her head to the side in a submissive posture and defers to whatever MacKenzie wants.
MacKenzie was more active in greeting staff this week, perhaps the milder weather made her joints less painful. She continues to monitor the activites in the exhibit pack, and appears to enjoy watching from the relative comfort of her bed in the corner of the retired enclosure.
The wolves had some special visitors prior to the What's for Dinner program on Saturday. These are special members who frequently visit the facility and observe the wolves as much as they can. One of the visitors commented that MacKenzie looks better than she has in a long time, Staff would have to agree.
The wolf care staff has been very busy this week with the ethology class, hence the delay in updating the wolf logs. Mackenzie is showing her age more than the other wolves, and sometimes appears stiff when getting up. However, she still retains her alpha status in the pack and will display her dominance over Lakota through stand-overs. A stand-over is a form of dominance in which the dominant wolf will stand over a submissive wolf when they are sitting or laying down. Mackenzie is still shedding her undercoat, which requires daily brushing from the wolf care staff.
In this picture you can see the lipid deposits in Mackenzie's eye. Eventhough she has age related problems, she is really active and enthusiastic greeting the wolf care staff on the daily wolf checks. She would walk from one staff member to another doing her favorite behavior…..drive by! This is when a wolf passes infront of another wolf or staff just far enough to be out of reach.
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