Lessons From the Gray Wolf

Slower than their prey and smaller than their competition, gray wolves depend on their packs’ social structure for protection and provision.
Gray wolves, also called timber wolves, once roamed much of North America. They now inhabit remote forests in Canada and Alaska, but reintroduction efforts have reestablished populations in Wyoming, Arizona, and Idaho.
Adult males weigh about 75 pounds, though some individuals have grown as large as 150 pounds. Females weigh about 60 pounds. Coloration can vary from white to brown to black, but most wolves are gray-brown with a tan underside.


Know the Boundaries

 A pack usually contains 6 to 10 wolves. The alpha male and female lead the pack, raise pups, protect the territory, and organize hunts. Other pack members are usually pups from previous years and occasionally an unrelated wolf.
Wolves mark their territory with the scent glands on their paws and noses, and pack members use howling to communicate with one another and warn intruders.

Know Your Role

Within a pack, each wolf knows to whom it must submit. Wolves use expressions and posture to stage psychological, ritual conflicts. The submitting wolf crouches down and shows its vulnerable belly in order to defuse a confrontation. Even pups establish a hierarchy within a litter.
When hunting large game, such as white-tailed deer, moose, elk, or bison, each wolf must anticipate and coordinate with other pack members. The alpha wolves initiate the attack and call it off if the prey proves too difficult or dangerous.

Contribute to Community

In early to mid spring, the alpha female prepares a den and has 4 to 7 young.
The pups weigh 1 pound each. Their eyes and ears open within two weeks, and they gradually switch to food brought back or regurgitated by pack members.

At 6 to 8 weeks, the pups begin exploring outside the den, and pack members take turns looking after the young. At six months, the pups can catch small animals, such as rabbits, and they soon join hunts for larger game.

Wolves mature at two years of age and either move up within the pack or search for mates and territories of their own. Because packs sometimes kill intruders, dispersing wolves must recognize and avoid hostile territory.

The Gray Wolf in Action

Choose Surroundings

The alpha female digs a den or finds a hollow tree in which to have her pups. Her choice helps ensure the safety of her young while they are most vulnerable.

Benefit Others

Individuals contribute to the pack by feeding the young and cooperating with one another. The pups learn by imitating their elders’ communication and hunting methods.

Work Together

The wolf is slower than most prey species and smaller than the grizzly bear and mountain lion. Teamwork allows a wolf pack to survive despite these disadvantages.

Communicate Clearly

Wolves communicate deference through body language. Even pups learn who is in charge and how to yield in order to get along with others.