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Researchers from Norway, Britain, and Imperial College London decided that wolves would help add back plants and birds that now are eaten by deer. Within the past ten years, there have been studies that are in favour of allowing new wolves to come and live in the English countryside and Scottish Highlands again. There is a legend that the last one was killed there in 1743 by a character called MacQueen. The last wolves survived in the Scottish Highlands. Wolves in Britain were all killed after centuries of hunting. However, wolves only eat livestock when they can not find wild prey.
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Many people were not happy about this because they were afraid that the wolves would eat the sheep and cows near the park. There had been no wolves there for a long time, because of hunting and poisoned water. The wolves have been very successful in the park. Many people around the world, especially in Canada and Alaska, have huskies for pets: they are a close relative of the wolf.Ī few years ago wolves were put back into Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming to breed, because they were becoming endangered. The main reason wolves become violent is because they may be sick or to protect other wolves in the pack. Wolves and humansĮven though many people think that wolves are terrible, mean creatures, they are actually much gentler than many people imagine. They can live for 14 years if they are well cared for in a zoo. They may live up to 5–10 years in the wild. Arctic wolves live in a group of 7-20 wolves. Adult arctic wolves weigh about 75 to 120 pounds (34 to 54 kg). They are 3 feet (0.91 m) tall when they're adults. This might be because of hybridization between wolves and dogs. Since about 1930, the skull of many Arctic wolves has become smaller. Wolf fur provides better insulation than dog fur, and does not collect ice when warm breath is condensed against it. Wolves in northern climates can rest comfortably in open areas at −40 ☌ (−40 ☏) by placing their muzzles between the rear legs and covering their faces with their tail. Their winter fur is highly resistant to the cold. They are more friendly than other wolves, but they can still be very aggressive. The habitat of Arctic wolves is very hostile. They live in the Canadian part of the Arctic Circle, as well as Greenland and Iceland. The Arctic wolf may be a subspecies of the grey wolf. Wolves will also swallow food and then bring it back up for pups to eat. They will eat up to 2/7 their body weight. Wolves have very sharp teeth which helps them tear large chunks of meat from a dead animal. Sometimes (especially if the prey they have killed is large) wolves may store food and come back that day to feed on it. Sometimes only one out of twelve hunts are successful. They do not always catch what they stalk. It is easier for the wolves to take down the sick because they are slower and less powerful. Wolves usually stalk old or sick animals. They also eat moose, bison, deer and other large animals. Some wolves have been seen eating salmon, seals, beached whales, lizards, snakes and birds. Wolves are carnivores and eat mostly medium to large size hoofed animals (unguligrades), but they will also eat rodents, insectivores and foxes. They can live in captivity for up to 17 years. They howl to communicate with each other from long distances and to mark the edges of their territory. Adult females usually give birth to five or six pups in a litter. Young wolves are called 'pups' or 'whelps'. Their territory is marked by scent and howling they will fight any intruders. The leaders are called the parent (breeding) male and the parent (breeding) female. Packs are usually up to 12 wolves, but they can be as small as two or as large as 25. Wolves that are not family may join if they do not have a pack of their own. The members of the pack are usually family members, often just the parents and offspring.
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The color of their fur can be any combination of grey, white, taupe, brown, and black. The top layer is resistant to dirt, and the under-layer is water resistant. Wolves usually measure 26–38 inches at the shoulder. The wolf has a long muzzle, short ears, long legs, and a long bushy tail. The heaviest wolf recorded weighed 86 kilograms (190 lb). As adults they may weigh typically between 23 to 50 kilograms (51 to 110 lb). Wolves living in the far north tend to be larger than those living further south. Illustration of various gray wolf growth stagesĪdult wolves are usually 1.4 to 1.8 metres (4.6 to 5.9 ft) in length from nose to tail depending on the subspecies.