Vr. 8: When Are Pups Born?
Antw. 8: Usually in April. Wolves have one breeding season each year, from mid- January to the end of February. Sixty-three days after mating, the mother wolf will have an average of four to six pups, born in an underground den she has dug. The pups weigh only about one pound each at birth, and cannot see, hear, smell, or keep warm by themselves. The mother feeds them her milk, and other pack members bring food to the den for her to eat.
The pups' eyes open after about 10 days. Around three weeks after birth, the pups begin to explore outside the den. Sometimes the mother carries the pups to another den to guard them from harm. When the pups are a little older, they are left at rendezvous sites, usually with an adult "baby-sitter," while the rest of the pack hunts for food. By fall, the pups are about 80 percent of their adult size, and are able to travel with the pack as they hunt throughout the winter.
Are Wolves Dangerous To People?
No. Wolves are very shy animals, and are afraid of people, avoiding us whenever possible. Even though people are expanding into the few remaining areas where wolves are found in large numbers, there has *never* been a documented case of a healthy wild wolf deliberately attacking a person in North America.
Some people try to keep wolves, or wolf-dog mixes known as "wolf hybrids," as pets. Many think that if they raise a wolf pup with love and treat it like a dog, it will grow up to be a loyal pet and fierce watchdog.
The problem is that they see the many similarities between wolves and dogs, and ignore the vital differences. Although dogs originally developed from wolves, it occurred by selective breeding for thousands of generations that actually altered the genetic makeup of the animal. This changed the animal's innate or "built-in" behavior to make it suitable for living with people in a home. The behavior of wolves, and of many wolf hybrids, which enables them to survive in the wild, makes them unsuitable as a pet.
Dishonest people often sell northern-breed dog mixes as "wolf-hybrids" when they actually have little or no wolf in them. Because these dogs may be wonderful pets, many people refuse to believe that wolf hybrids need special handling. Sometimes these misguided people later get a real hybrid and cannot safely handle it.
Often, when people do try to treat them as if they were dogs, the animals end up in a situation where their normal behavior results in an attack, sometimes fatally injuring someone. The animals are almost invariably killed, and the image of an entire endangered species suffers.
How Can I Learn More About Wolves?
Here at Wolf Park, we keep wolves in captivity -- not as pets, but as ambassadors for their species. Through visits and school tours, adults and children alike see our main pack in a large (over six acres), naturalistic enclosure, and learn about wolves and their behavior.
There are a number of other facilities that have captive wolves, and many zoos have wolf exhibits. If you have a chance to visit such places, spend some time watching the wolves and try to figure out their rank order by noticing which wolves submit to others, and which submit to no other wolves. Try to visit either as soon as the facility opens or in the late afternoon/early evening, since wolves are crepuscular, meaning that they are most active around dawn and dusk, and often rest during most of the middle of the day and night. Vr. 9: Are Wolves Dangerous To People?
Antw. 9: No. Wolves are very shy animals, and are afraid of people, avoiding us whenever possible. Even though people are expanding into the few remaining areas where wolves are found in large numbers, there has *never* been a documented case of a healthy wild wolf deliberately attacking a person in North America.
Some people try to keep wolves, or wolf-dog mixes known as "wolf hybrids," as pets. Many think that if they raise a wolf pup with love and treat it like a dog, it will grow up to be a loyal pet and fierce watchdog.
The problem is that they see the many similarities between wolves and dogs, and ignore the vital differences. Although dogs originally developed from wolves, it occurred by selective breeding for thousands of generations that actually altered the genetic makeup of the animal. This changed the animal's innate or "built-in" behavior to make it suitable for living with people in a home. The behavior of wolves, and of many wolf hybrids, which enables them to survive in the wild, makes them unsuitable as a pet.
Dishonest people often sell northern-breed dog mixes as "wolf-hybrids" when they actually have little or no wolf in them. Because these dogs may be wonderful pets, many people refuse to believe that wolf hybrids need special handling. Sometimes these misguided people later get a real hybrid and cannot safely handle it.
Often, when people do try to treat them as if they were dogs, the animals end up in a situation where their normal behavior results in an attack, sometimes fatally injuring someone. The animals are almost invariably killed, and the image of an entire endangered species suffers.
Vr. 10: Why Do Some People Dislike Wolves?
Antw. 10: Many people fear and hate wolves. Ranchers worry that wolves will kill their livestock. In areas like Yellowstone National Park, where people killed off the existing wolf population and where a reintroduction of gray wolves is beginning, private groups have set up funds to compensate ranchers for any proven stock losses to wolves. In Minnesota, where wolves live in close proximity to livestock already, fewer than one percent of farms report any losses at all. With proper livestock management techniques, including the use of livestock guarding dogs, wolves can be reintroduced without economic hardship to farmers and ranchers.
Unfortunately, people still believe old stories and fables about wolves. Tales like "Little Red Riding Hood" and contemporary werewolf horror films paint the wolf in a negative manner and only increase fear and hatred for those who cannot separate the fictional image from the real animal.
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