Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re going to be talking about the grey wolf. If you like learning facts about animals then subscribe to this channel so you can stay up to date on all the new content. They grey wolf, who is also known as the timber wolf, was suggested by YouTube user Georgia Wright - thanks for the suggestion, wolves are one of my favorite animals. I’ve actually been fascinated by wolves from a young age and I really enjoyed learning more about them in researching this episode.

Grey wolves were once one of the most widespread mammals in the world with populations ranging across nearly the entire landscape of the northern hemisphere. Today they inhabit less than ⅔ of their original territory and this is largely due to persecution from humans.

Most of us have heard the tales, Little Red Riding Hood, the Three Little Pigs, the Boy Who Cried Wolf, all amassing to form this image of a monster in the human subconscious that still permeates our tales today. Just look to Hollywood to see what I’m talking about. But hey, to be fair, some are getting it right. The problem is that there are people who actually believe this notion that wolves are evil. While it is true that wolves have caused human death in the vast expanse of human history, the reality is far from the fiction. A person is more likely to be killed by an elevator than by a wolf, and let me tell you I have nightmares about those things - they’re like floating deathtraps. So while I take the stairs, let me give you a bit of a more realistic perspective on these elusive creatures.

Grey wolves are the largest wild member of the canids, or ‘dog’ family. Depending on who you ask the grey wolf species is broken up into five sub-species which are: the Mexican wolf, the Rocky Mountain wolf, the Algonquin wolf, the buffalo wolf and the arctic wolf. They typically appear grey in color with a lighter belly though they can vary from brown to red and black to white.

The males are typically larger than the females and weigh in at about 13 Chesters on average, or, y’know 130 pounds (59kg). They’re social animals and live in packs usually with somewhere around 8-12 members, though some groups have reached 30 individuals. These packs are usually composed of related members and led by an ‘alpha’ pair. It’s typically that the alpha pair will be the only two breeding wolves in a pack with exceptions occurring when food is plentiful.

Grey wolves are monogamous and will mate for life. Breeding season is usually at the beginning of the year and just like a dog, because, yes, ancient wolves really are the ancestors of our Fido family members, a female wolf will be pregnant for 63 days. The pups will be born in a den with an average of 6 per litter and will be raised by the entire pack. At about five months old, depending on food supply, the pups will begin to help with the hunt. After they reach one year of age they may either incorporate into the pack or venture out to find a different pack to join sometimes traveling hundreds of miles (up to 800 km).

Packs do their best not to cross paths by scent marking their territory and howling in that iconic lonely voice. A pack’s territory can span anywhere from 50 to over 1,000 square miles (130-2,500 square km) depending on scarcity of food. Grey wolves typically eat large hooved animals such as boar, deer, elk and even moose and musk ox - though they will also consume smaller prey such as beavers and rabbits. They’re able to eat up to 20 pounds (9 kg) of food in one sitting and subsist off of that for days and even weeks. On average they need somewhere around 7 pounds (3 kg) of food per day, though they can survive on 2 (0.9 kg) if the need arises.

One of the biggest myths surrounding grey wolf eating habits is that they compete with sportsman for trophy animals but this is inaccurate. Wolves are observant animals and will seek out either young animals or old, sickly ones to take down, not the stronger animals in their prime. This actually helps to keep populations of wild ungulates healthy as it decreases the distribution of bad genes. Humans can’t seem to get the hint, though as grey wolves are killed annually by people seeking to “destroy their competition” so to speak.

Grey wolves are also killed because they are believed to be a menace to livestock, while, in fact, the opposite is true. In a report completed by Washington State University researchers it was discovered that for each wolf killed in up to 25% of the grey wolf population there would be an increase in livestock death by 5%. It’s speculated that this may happen when alphas are taken out leaving the members of the pack to breed freely, which, in a sick twist of irony, means more wolves. The best thing we can do is learn to deter grey wolves from our livestock with guard dogs, lights and sounds.

In reality, grey wolves are withdrawn animals who have grown wary of the people who have destroyed their populations for centuries due to misguided beliefs and false fairy tales. They’re out of their element in our overdeveloped landscapes and prefer woodlands, forests, grasslands, deserts and even tundras. Upon meeting a human most wolves with disappear into the shadows.

I knew this episode would get long; it’s tough to reign it in and keep it short when I’m talking about one of my all-time favorite animals. I’ll leave you with this: if you’re going to pass along wolf stories, pass along the ones that shed wolves in a light that is more akin to their true nature such as the stories of Okami who would help weary travelers find their way home and act as judges between good and evil.

For more information on grey wolves check out the links in the description. Thanks again to Georgia Wright for the suggestion, I’m so glad to have had the opportunity to talk about these majestic animals. Be sure to give a thumbs up and thanks for watching Animal Fact Files.