If you’ve ever heard the term “alpha wolf,” you might imagine snapping fangs and fighting to the death for dominance. However, the idea that a ruthless dictator leads wolf packs is a myth. In recent years, wildlife biologists have largely dropped the term “alpha,” Researchers have found that most wolf packs are simply families led […]
Tag: Wolf Pack
Sweden’s biggest wolf cull starts but campaigners fight on
The biggest wolf cull in modern times has begun in Sweden as nature organisations warn it could drastically harm the population. On Monday, the Guardian accompanied 200 hunters as they went to kill wolves in the frost-covered forests between Gävleborg and Dalarna, hunting from midnight until the sun set at 3pm. Groups like this will […]
A Man’s Life Was Saved by the Same Wolf He Helped Four Years Ago
Wolves are depicted as intimidating and dangerous creatures. In children’s nursery rhymes, they are often called the big bad wolf. In reality, wolves have more than one personality, and their attitude depends on how you treat them. They have an excellent memory which is why they can easily recognize those who are good to them […]
America is exterminating its wolves. When will this stop?
Will Americans ever stop killing wolves? We stopped commercially hunting whales, and the mass slaughter of bison. We no longer clearcut old-growth redwoods, or use explosives on prairie dog towns, or build massive dams on wild salmon rivers. We no longer kill egrets and herons to adorn women’s hats with their feathers. So why shoot […]
In violation of EU nature protection legislation, Norway is allowing hunters to shoot wolves in a conservation zone
Nine endangered wolves were slaughtered in Norway on the same day after a court ruled that a contentious hunt could proceed. Originally, 51 wolves were scheduled to be slaughtered, representing a sizable fraction of the 80 animals known to exist in Norway. However, activists obtained a stay of execution last month when they obtained an […]
Kleptoparasitic bear steals wolves’ kill in filmed Yellowstone drama
Wildlife officials in Yellowstone national park captured the “unusual” sight of a cheeky grizzly bear tagging along with a pack of hunting wolves, then making off with their kill. The enthralling video, posted to the National Parks Service Facebook page, shows the October incident in which the wolves from the Junction Butte pack in northern […]
Switzerland’s wolves get too close for comfort
One or perhaps two wolves, spotted at a distance, roaming the mountains from which they were driven to extinction a century ago may be a good thing – a sign of nature rebalancing itself, of diversity restored. A whole pack, prowling through alpine villages, lurking along the paths children take to school, is something different. […]
US government agency reportedly killed 8 wolf pups in their den
In the spring, wolf dens are usually full of young pups being raised by their parents and helper wolves, but when one den in Idaho was discovered vacant earlier this year, biologists worked on uncovering the reason. Today, the Washington Post reported that eight wolf pups from the Timberline wolf pack were killed by agents […]