Wolves: Essential Wildlife

Rachael Martin

03/2021 · Character-19

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When a wolf howls it is an eerie, spine-tingling sound to those who hear it. To the wolf, it’s a form of communicating with his pack. These animals are the largest members of the dog family and the gray wolf is the most common. This adaptable animal was once found all over the Northern Hemisphere, but today is found mainly in Alaska, Canada, and Asia. Few gray wolves survive in Europe, but where populations are high many wolves are not averse to attacking domestic animals. As a result many have been shot, poisoned, or trapped. Wolves have a long history with humans and are often feared, although attacks on people are extremely rare.

Red wolves are confined to the southeastern United States where they are endangered – they became extinct in the wild in the early 1980s. However, a breeding program has successfully reintroduced this species in North Carolina and around 100 survive in the wild today. The maned wolf is found only in South America and is looks more like a large fox than a wolf. 

Wolves live and hunt in packs of between six and 10 animals and roam large distances where they hunt deer, elk, and moose. They also feed on smaller mammals, lizards, snakes, birds, and fruit. The pack is dominated by a male and his mate who are usually the only wolves to breed, although the entire pack helps to care for the pups. This books takes a look at the fascinating lives of these much misunderstood predators.